TRUDI MANN

 

Vocalist Trudi Mann's signature style lends elegance to songs that are uniquely hers. A singer's singer, her extensive repertoire includes lovely ballads, novelty tunes and the all-time favorite standards of the American Popular songbook.



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Trudi Mann
MMMMM - Trudi Mann
(Samson - 2000)
by John Barrett 


The first thing you hear is the echo: Trudi Mann’s pleading voice, trapped in an empty room. This works when paired to a lonely song – "I Don’t Think of You at All" has her quizzical, doubting the words as she sings them. Sweet she is, with cool vibrato … and a brassy tone when she needs it. While she snarls "Long Way from St. Louis", Tedd Firth hits the Peter Gunn theme … and bluesy block chords on his solo! Likewise for "Girlfriend of the Whirling Dervish", where we hear "Constantinople" and "Night in Tunisia"; it’s cute but not overdone. She is resigned for "The Real Thing", and as she gains hope her voice goes higher. Cymbals rain down, Firth adds soft chords, and romance grows. Hers … and yours.


Best of the lot are three medleys, two of which come from Meredith d’Ambrosio. "Oh. Look at Me Now" starts with the original lyric, then changes its tune, varying the words with delight. It sounds like a vocalese solo, with the structure they often lack – the best of two worlds. (She sounds a bit nasal on this one, adding to its charm.) "Stompin’ at the Savoy" comes out swinging, and seamlessly joins to "Tuxedo Junction". Trudi sounds like a trumpet: clear notes, broad and sassy.


She turns bittersweet on Barry Manilow’s "When October Goes"; the chords of "Autumn Leaves", with a deeper mood. This has Trudi’s best acting, a pain you can feel. And "Four" is the best feeling of all: fast samba from Firth, clicking sticks, and a smile in her voice. This sort of thing is contagious: under-heard songs by an overlooked voice. So listen – and smile.
It will be featured this month and next month in IN TUNE IN'TL. MAGAZINE in Britain and will the the feature CD on WXXI FM and 1370 AM in Rochester, NY Saturday 7/22 and was used in the jazz vocal class at Eastman School of Music.

 

APPLAUSE! APPLAUSE!

Volume IV, Issue 5
Dr.Thomas Robert Stevens
Publisher & Editor
718-357-7075

Distribution: 3500 mailed

CONTRIBUTING CRITICS
George S. Bettinger
Andrew Martin
Dr. Thomas Robert Stevens
Tree
Jan Wallman

(Former Contributing Critics Include Mava T. Amis, Marie G. Becker, Quentin Crisp, Stuart V. Hamstra, Baird Jones, Maryann Lopinto & Rita Sola)

Jan Wallman 

Trudi Mann's Open "Mike".........

Trudi Mann runs this very well organized weekly Sunday matinee .. a fine singer and musician in her own right. The singers don't just drop in and hope to be asked to perform, they show up early carrying their music and sign in to be assured of slot in the afternoon's lineup.

Trudi does a song or two her self that day she did a moving version of the Murray Grand/June Carroll "Guess Who I Saw Today" from New Faces 1952 and then gave each of the singers a professional and warmly encouraging introduction. There were more of them than I have space to mention.

The quality of the performers was much higher than that which one ordinarily expects in this genre. I credit this to Trudi Mann's taste and organizational skills. She's almost a mother hen in her way of encouraging and building up her proteges and she provides them with the excellent house duo of Tedd Firth (piano) and Bob Sabin (bass) who can play almost anything for almost anybody. Trudi kept the momentum going with her own clever arrangement of "The Girlfriend of The Whirling Dervish". For audiences, I recommend an afternoon. For aspiring singers, I say go make the acquaintance or Trudi Mann and get on her roster. Listen to your peers, learn from them and join in the run.