All This and Heaven Too: Live At Bake's Place - Jazz Performance & Live Music Experience for Dinner Parties, Lounge Nights & Relaxing Evenings

Greta Matassa has been singing in and around Seattle for more than 30 years. She's done it all: From lounge music, to country, to rock-and-roll and heavy metal - but her first love has always been jazz. And in "All This and Heaven Too," that's what she does and what you get.In a review of one of Ms Matassa's live performances, the Seattle Times described her as, "A vocal chameleon..., Matassa can sound husky or crisp, ebullient or wailing, girlish or jaded. She recalls Billie Holiday in one phrase, Cleo Laine in the next. Breathy at the top of her range, she also packs a warbling vibrato." I think this pretty much gets it right, although her vocals on "All This...," are more Laine than Holiday and I wouldn't describe her voice as "girlish." To be blunt, she's beat her voice up over the years - it's full of smoke and grit - shop worn and world weary. It's the voice of a woman, not a girl.The songs on "All This..." are an interesting mix of standards from the likes of Rodgers and Hart, Arlen and Mercer, and Ira Gershwin - but there are also some obscure gems, like Heinz Roemheld's "Ruby," (from the 1953 film "Ruby Gentry") and "Close Your Eyes," by Bernice Petkere. Most of these are done in a langourous, laid back style, with just enough finger poppin' rockin'-and-stompin' to spice up the set."All This...," was recorded live at Bake's Place, a small club in Issaquah, WA. Ms Matassa is backed by Randy Halberstadt, a fine bop pianist, bassist Clipper Anderson, drummer Mark Ivester, and - and I think this is a particularly nice touch - Susan Pascal on the vibes. While these folks may not be household names, they are all excellent musicians and they do outstanding work here.The sonics are reasonably good. Ms Matassa's voice is front and center. Personally I'd like the quartet to be a little more "foreward" in the mix, but they're still adequately presented.