Veteran Jazz vocalist Lainie Cooke’s Happy Madness is a musical interpretation of elevated bliss that comfortably sits in any jazz lover’s collection. Originally recorded in 2019, the project was rerecorded in 2021 during the pandemic with the help of sound engineer Katherine Miller. Now in her 80s, Cooke undoubtedly has many life experiences that seem to underpin the emotional maturity of her music. The original concept of this album was to craft an online comic book with images reflective of the Modern Romance comics of the 1950s. Whilst the artwork is a work in process, Cooke is still able to expansively bestow evocative songs that replicate the feelings one has when in love.
Cooke’s signature virtuosic, soulful, and indulgent vocals marry harmoniously with the exemplary musicianship of world-class musicians; Miki Yamanaka on piano, Luques Curtis on bass, Lucas Pino on tenor sax, and the late jazz giant Ralph Peterson on drums, in one of his final recordings. The lively arrangements of the title song and ‘I Feel So Smoochie’ emit more jovial sentiments than the more cautious mawkishness of “Blame it on My Youth’. As a result, the songs on this EP definitely seem to musically represent contented chapters in life, and Cooke sings them with conviction.
Arguably, one can feel the love Lainie Cooke and her collaborating artists have for music. Unquestionably, each artist possesses the talent needed to execute the musical probabilities this genre and theme present. The EP is now available to download.
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Images provided and courtesy of Truth Revolution Records (Group Photo by Hubert William)
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