Bob Casanova, singer | Andy Fite, guitar | Boel Dirke, piano | Charley Krachy, tenor saxophone | Rich Califano, Lynn Seaton, Alex Gressel, bass | Carol Tristano, Roger Mancuso, drums | Gary Levy, alto saxophone
Tracklist: 1. There Will Never Be Another You 2. Body and Soul 3. Stella by Starlight Download 4. I’ll Remember April 5. You’d Be So Nice To Come Home To 6. Dee Bee Dot 7. I Should Care 8. Blue Shadow 9. Embraceable You 10. Jazzonia 11. Why Aren’t You Laughing?
Recording Date: 1994
In memoriam Bob Casanova, January 19, 1959 – October 4, 1999
“He is a true ‘Jazz Singer,’ meaning someone who uses their voice as an instrument instead of merely interpreting lyrics… A flair for dramatic scale-climbing improvisations, and a silken singing voice that can tell a story. Bob Casanova is a talent.”- Jerome Wilson, Cadence Magazine
“… a skillful singer; lyrical and passionate and expressive, with tender feeling.” – Abbey Lincoln
“He’s dedicated, soulful and he swings … Listen!” – Jay Clayton
“The performance on, JUST FOR THE JOY OF IT is a pure musical expression. At first appearing stark with only voice and piano, the recording fills out with fullness and richness. Casanova has a unique voice for improvising on the themes. He has a certain innocence in his voice that is quite appealing. Crother’s piano accompaniment and soloing are a joy to behold. Casanova and Crothers have created a moving album that weds an atypical vocal style with creative piano improvisations. It was a treat to hear.” Frank Rubolino, Cadence , Feb. ‘98
“For a venture into vocal improvisation, Casanova couldn’t have chosen a more supportive and intuitive partner than pianist Crothers. Together they alter time, phrasing, melodic line and harmonic frame works in their search for fresh ways to hear and express the songs. Familiar pulses are often ignored but at the end of each song you realize you have been put in touch with its essential feeling and imagery. Freedom is tested and respected throughout this collaboration.” Lois Moody, Jazz News, June ‘98
“Recently, New Artists mailed out a duet CD, I think I’ve mentioned before , how leery I am of vocalists… However, this one has caught my ear. I used the Suite for the (Radio) program last Sunday, about 7 minutes of vocal/piano interplay. Maybe because he didn’t sing from the standards repertroire, and used his voice in a different fashion… I don’t know, but I sure enjoyed it.” William Kenz, WKDSU Radio, Feb. ‘98
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This download comprises of one 90.03MB zip file with the complete track list in 192kbps MP3 format along with album art in high resolution JPG format.
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He may seem an odd man out on a label that specializes in Lennie Tristano disciples but Bob Casanova proves he belongs. He’s a true “jazz singer,” meaning someone who uses their voice as an instrument instead of merely interpreting lyrics. He sounds good but this recording doesn’t show him at best advantage. Most of it is a murkily recorded live set with the singer backed by Fite, Dirke, Califano and Krachy. What you can hear of Casanova sounds soulful and imaginative.
The solos are the good things here. Dirke has some lovely, extended piano lines and Fite gets a laid back, gliding solo on “Body and Soul.” A pair of short voice and drum duets with Carol Tristano give a better taste of Casanova’s range and creativity. He’s best served by the last two tracks, “Jazzonia,” an original setting of a Langston Hughes poem with just bass accompaniment, and “Why Aren’t You Laughing?,” an original blues. These really show his powers, a flair for dramatic scale-climbing improvisations on the former and a silken singing voice that can tell a story like Oscar Brown Jr. on the latter. Bob Casanova is a talent. Hopefully next time he’ll do a studio album that really shows his prowess.
– Jerome Wilson, Cadence, December 1995