Cool: Marked by steady dispassionate calmness and self-control, of jazz: marked by restrained emotion and the frequent use of counterpoint. When I first heard Dawn Aitken on the Seven Arts recording ‘Real Divas’-Torch Light vol. 1’, I was intrigued, impressed and surprised. The surprise was due to the fact that her name is not familiar to more jazz fans. Indeed, a pleasure to discover and celebrate. As the title track from the release, “Be Cool” suggests, Dawn certainly is.
50/50 fire and ice.
Originally from Toronto, Dawn has paid her dues in commercial voice over’s, jingles, cabarets and night clubs to acclaimed engagements in the Broadway hit show, “Pump Boys and Dinettes”, to headline shows in downtown Chicago’s hot spots.
Dawn’s mature vocal style reaches across the board. She can be sultry, cheeky, sweet and smooth. She could easily slip from Jazz or Blues, Rock n’ Roll to Motown and back, without missing a beat. Evidence of her incredible range and versatility can be found on each of the 12 tracks on “Be Cool”. Featuring and outstanding group of supporting musicians such as Russ Botin and Kerry Galloway on bass, Tom Keenlyside on tenor and soprano sax, Harris Van Berkel on guitar, Jerry Adolphe on drums, Bill Sample and Ron Johnston on piano, this CD is a delight.
“The Nearness of You” is the first delicious treat for the ears, smooth and inviting, Dawn captures the feelings of love of devotion flawlessly. Her take on Joni Mitchell’s “Be Cool” is upbeat and a fine example of Dawn’s originality. “Love Potion #9” has a nice blues touch to it, with a great piano intro and hot guitar work, and certainly the best version of this song that I have heard. Another track that affected me is the gorgeous “When the Fire Goes Out”. A generous amount of emotion was put into this stunning song. It made me want to thank the person who wrote this, as it is perfect for Dawn and this CD.
There are some phenomenal pieces of music on “Be Cool” included with the above tracks. The traditional blues ditty “Cold, Cold Feelin”, a glorious rendition of the classic “Somewhere Over The Rainbow”, “Willow Weep For Me”, and Dawn’s performance on “Somekinda Wonderful” is exquisite. And of course, my personal eye opener to the wonderful world of Dawn Aitken, as featured on “Real Divas’-Torch Light vol. 1-“Until The Real Thing Comes Along”.
Trying to come up with the perfect words and phrases to describe this disc has been a challenge for me. I do not believe anything I write can do the justice that Ms. Aitken and “Be Cool” deserves. All I can say for sure is that the pleasure and powerful feelings that get conjured up by listening to the CD, has indeed rendered me speechless. Bravo!