Gloria Niemann Quintet
Bittersweet
Plainisphare (Switzerland) 1983
PAV 807 (LP)
sleeve : NM(IN SHRINK)
media : NM/NM
This is a little-known masterpiece released in 1983 by the Gloria Niemann Quintet, led by Swiss female jazz singer Gloria Niemann, from Plainisphare, Switzerland's top contemporary jazz label. Rene Zedi (vib), Bruno Durring (p), Jurg Salchli (b), and Juan Puigventos (ds) participated. They perform relatively straightforward jazz numbers including modern, ragtime, and blues, but Gloria Niemann's vocals are simply wonderful. There are many highlights, such as the Miles Davis cover A3 and the Antonio Carlos Jobim cover B1. Among them, I particularly recommend B2, a cover of the famous song composed by Michel Legrand as a song in the 1969 American film "The Happy Ending" and subsequently covered by many singers. It's a beautiful and poignant ballad number, with a subtle performance and Gloria Niemann's emotionally rich vocals that truly grip your heart. It's simply too wonderful.
A3: