Whitfield, Wesla
High Note, 2004, CD
Instrument: Female Vocals
Issue: 11.1
Jazz Ruler Type: Ballads, Blues
Performance: 3
Sound: 3
Score: 
O’s Notes: This is an album of 15 ballads. They are all in a melancholy mood reminding Wesla of when she first ventured to San Francisco. It was the loneliness of change before meeting new friends and establishing a presence. Whitfield is paired with Mike Greensill (and John Wiitala) who directs the effort and plays piano. The sound is much fuller than you’d expect owing to the depth of Wesla’s voice. “A Beautiful Friendship”, “Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams” and “Autumn In New York” are a few of the best. Tone, pitch and emotion ring through as Whitfield expresses these classics as works of art.
