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Vocalist Tom Lellis' career has been profound indeed, having sang, played piano or opened for the likes of Dizzy Gillespie, piano great Bill Evans and jazz organist Jimmy Smith. On this Inner City release he has surrounded himself with a bevy of big-name jazz talent including Eddie Gomez (bass), Jack DeJohnette (drums), Jeremy Steig (flute), Skip Hadden (percussion), and Ron Busch (vibes). Tracks include timeless standards revamped in the Lellis style such as "E.S.P.," "Begin the Beguine" and Keith Jarrett's "Lucky Southern" as well as some Lellis originals.
"OK, now, where’s this guy Tom Lellis been hiding? I’ve never even HEARD of this guy before this disc came my way. He’s still putting out stuff, and if it’s anything even remotely similar to this rookie '79 disc, I am THERE! Sort of a mix between Mark Murphy and Elliot Lurie of Looking Glass (singer of the 70s hit “Brandy”-do you know how hard it was for me to find that out? It drove me CRAZY!!!) Lellis is also an advanced keyboard player, and goes toe-to-toe with his band of Eddie Gomez/b, Jack DeJohnette/dr, Skip Hadden/perc, and Jeremy Steig/fl (I told you that you’d love this disc!) on adventurous tunes like “Begin The Beguine” and “Man From Tanganyika.” Lellis’ own compositions are mature works as well, while his vocals on “ESP,” and Chick Corea’s which features Bill Dobbins on piano, are adventurous, modern yet completely accessible. Find this guy before he becomes a tragic footnote in jazz lore! Wow!!!!"
-George Harris, Jazzweekly.com
"This is an enjoyable debut, and one hears Lellis' potential on original material as well as interpretations of Chick Corea's "Times Lie" and Cole Porter's "Begin the Beguine"... Most of the songs that Lellis interprets (when he isn't writing melodies of his own) have not been beaten to death. And you certainly can't accuse the singer of performing "Begin the Beguine" the same old way; Lellis puts a surprisingly mysterious and haunting post-bop spin on the familiar standard. Nor can you accuse Lellis of being lazy; he provides lyrics for Keith Jarrett's "Lucky Southern" as well as Wayne Shorter's "E.S.P." and McCoy Tyner's "Man From Tangayika"... At a time when so many jazz singers are content to offer knee-jerk versions of the same old standards done the same old way, one can't help but applaud the fact that Lellis wrote most of the lyrics himself." -Alex Henderson, AMG
1979's And In This Corner introduced to the music world the voice of a bright new jazz singer. Tom Lellis. His warm voice, songwriting abilities and jazz improvising skills made a strong impression from the start.
Born in Cleveland, Ohio 33 years before, Tom Lellis first sang professionally when he was 15. After nine years of singing, he started seriously learning the piano, and within three years he was a singer-pianist. Lellis opened for many of the jazz greats and kept busy, but somehow he did not record until 1979.
As can be heard on And In This Corner, by that point in time he was more than ready. Lellis, who plays piano on half of the ten selections, is joined by flutist Jeremy Steig, vibraphonist Ron Busch, pianist Bill Dobbins, bassist Eddie Gomez, drummer Jack DeJohnette and percussionist Skip Hadden. quite a all-star cast for a singer's debut!
There are many intriguing selections on this set. Lellis wrote the lyrics to such songs as Keith Jarrett's “Lucky Southern” (which begins and opens the set), Wayne Shorter's “E.S.P.” and McCoy Tyner's almost impossible to sing “Man From Tanganyika.” In addition, Lellis sings a slower than usual version of “Begin The Beguine” (the only vocal standard on the set), Chick Corea's “Times Lie,” and contributed four originals of his own.
Long before Kurt Elling, Tom Lellis was making it possible for potentially forbidding jazz pieces to be sung and for jazz vocalists to add new songs to their repertoire. His voice is distinctive on this early set, performing in a style influenced but dominated by Mark Murphy. While most new jazz singers at the time were struggling to come up with a fresh approach and an inspired repertoire, Lellis was succeeding at pointing the way for future jazz singers to go. His piano playing is spirited, Jeremy Steig takes plenty of fine solos (blending in well with Lellis' voice) and the music overall sounds a bit futuristic for 1979.
It seems strange in retrospect that Tom Lellis has not made it big. His next recording would not be released until 1991 and he has only recorded a handful of times since although he is still quite active.
Review
"And In This Corner is a gem that is long overdue to be rediscovered.
"A major jazz singer who has not become as famous as he deserves, Tom Lellis has a warm voice, is a talented improviser and is a skilled songwriter. And In This Corner, his 1979 debut, finds Lellis also playing piano on half of the ten numbers. He heads a sextet that includes flutist Jeremy Steig, pianist Bill Dobbins, bassist Eddie Gomez and drummer Jack DeJohnette. Lellis contributed original lyrics to a few songs by other jazz musicians in addition to performing four of his originals. Throughout the post bop music, Tom Lellis’ singing is swinging, inventive and memorable." -Scott Yanow
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