(Reprinted from the July 2021 issue of Downbeat magazine)
Sweet Megg (a.k.a singer Meaghan Farrell) and woodwind player Ricky Alexander tap into the enduring appeal of early swing on their debut, I’m In Love Again (Turtle Bay Records). Delectably pithy, each of the record’s 11 tunes delivers a heady dose of syncopation and tuneful improvisation, recalling the abandon of jazz-age dance halls and speakeasies.
This is no dusty nostalgia album, however. Sure, Megg gets gritty on “Squeeze Me,” Fats Waller’s blues hit, and she nails the wistful warbling on “Foolin’ Myself,” popularized by Billie Holiday. But she refreshes these time-honored songs rather than clones the originals; her agility with modern swing feels gives her vocals a decidedly individualistic flair.
Alexander, too, brings a contemporary sensibility to his interpretation of these attention-worthy tunes. His fleet clarinet soloing on the bouncing fox trot “Right or Wrong” and the roguish “Angry” hint at predecessors like Ted Lewis and Benny Goodman, but only intermittently; as lead soloist he seeks to maintain, it seems, the light-hearted zeitgeist of each tune, whatever its era of origin. Even his regret-filled sax lines on Duke Ellington’s “I Got It Bad” smack of optimism.
On the latter tune especially one can appreciate pianist Dalton Ridenhour’s creative reharmonizations—cleverly interjected departures from the stride and swing comping that he offers throughout most of the album (as on “Ragged and Right” and “My Honey’s Lovin’ Arms”). And trumpeter Mike Davis and trombonist Rob Edwards—superb soloists in their own right—contribute in no small part to the success of the album’s fresh arrangements. These three players, along with bassist Rob Adkins, drummer Kevin Dorn, and banjoist Jerron Paxton, shoulder much of the responsibility for the record’s rhythmic drive. But to experience these eight musicians at their most expressive, listen to the title cut. Pure exuberance.
I’m In Love Again: My Honey’s Lovin’ Arms; Foolin’ Myself; Right Or Wrong; Squeeze Me; Last Night On The Back Porch; Angry; I Got It Bad; Ragged But Right; I’m In Love Again; I’d Love To Take Orders From You; A Blues Serenade. (36:59)
Personnel: Megg Farell, voice; Ricky Alexander, clarinet, saxophone; Mike Davis, trumpet; Jerron Paxton, banjo; Dalton Ridenhour, piano; Rob Adkins, bass; Rob Edwards, trombone; Kevin Dorn, drums.