New York, NY (Top40 Charts/ Karrin Allyson Official Website) 'Round Midnight (Concord Jazz) has earned vocalist/pianist Allyson the best reviews of her illustrious career and the widest range of coverage she's ever encountered, as the elegant, dreamy music was embraced not only by her core jazz audience but by mainstream, Broadway/Theater press, syndicated radio, web-based editorial outlets, regional television and much more. Many of America's most respected journalists weighed in with praise, from USA TODAY's Gardner to THE NY TIMES' Stephen
Holden to Associated Press' Charles Gans to Wall Street Journal's Will Friedwald to Sirius/XM's Jonathan Schwartz to NYT's Nate Chinen and dozens more. A sampling of their rave coverage follows below.
USA TODAY's Elysa Gardner has chosen Karrin Allyson's 'Round Midnight' as her #1 Album of 2011, in a Year-End Poll of USA TODAY's top critics: https://www.usatoday.com/life/music/news/story/2011-12-27/our-critics-top-five-albums/52234144/1.
It's the latest accolade in a year of extraordinary acclaim for Allyson's stunning CD.
''Round Midnight' has been nominated for a 2012 GRAMMY AWARD for Best Jazz Vocal Album, marking Allyson's fourth consecutive nomination in this major category. The Grammys take place on February 12, 2012, and Allyson will be on hand.
Allyson is #1 Album of 2011 - USA TODAY's Elysa Gardner
GRAMMY NOMINATED FOR 'BEST JAZZ VOCAL ALBUM'
DOWNBEAT: A "
Masterpiece"
ASSOCIATED PRESS: "Darkly Beautiful"
USA TODAY: "A Revelation"
WALL STREET JOURNAL: "She Sings with Amazing Subtlety"
NY TIMES: "One of the most grounded singers working today"
NY TIMES - MUSIC REVIEW
A Sharp Eye for Songs in the Key of Now
By STEPHEN HOLDEN - June 3, 2011
https://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/04/arts/music/karrin-allyson-at-birdland-review.html?_r=1
NY TIMES Weekend Arts column, Lead:
https://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/03/arts/music/jazz-listings-for-june-3-9.html
By Nate Chinen:
https://twitter.com/#!/natechinen/status/76991761368621056
WALL STREET JOURNAL
6/3/2011 BY WILL FRIEDWALD -
Karrin Allyson -Birdland
https://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303745304576361642517402216.html?KEYWORDS=karrin+allyson
USA TODAY: Listen Up
Music Pick
By Elysa Gardner, 4/12/11
'April Come She Will'
"Simon's old ballad fits Allyson's exquisite voice and elegant delivery like a silk glove on the latter's 'Round Midnight."
https://www.usatoday.com/life/music/reviews/2011-04-11-listenup12_TV_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip
ASSOCIATED PRESS - Feature-length CD REVIEW By Charles Gans, May 9, 2011
https://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_MUSIC_REVIEW_KARRIN_ALLYSON_GMUS-?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
"Darkly beautiful and melancholic"
USA TODAY 'PICK OF THE WEEK'
By Elysa Gardner, May 16, 2011
https://www.usatoday.com/life/music/reviews/2011-05-16-playlist-karrin-allyson_n.htm
NPR PIANO JAZZ - 'Update'
By Grant Jackson, May 6, 2011 Listen or read via:
https://www.npr.org/2011/05/06/136055280/karrin-allyson-on-piano-jazz
Text Excerpt below.
"Her latest album, 'Round Midnight, is the singer's selection of 11 late-night ballads: "Turn Out the Stars," "Goodbye," "Send in the Clowns" and the title track by Thelonious Monk. The album also finds Allyson again accompanying herself on piano and Fender Rhodes keyboard after a long spell as a vocalist only."
DOWNBEAT MAGAZINE - 'FIVE-STAR
MASTERPIECE' - TOP CDS OF 2011
12/2011 Issue - CD review by Kirk Silsbee
https://www.karrinallyson.com/reviews/120511rm-downbeat.html
Karrin Allyson has long been known for gathering choice material from far-flung sources and fashioning superior albums - a skill never to be sneezed at. This ennui-soaked program is no exception; her ability to shape songs to conform to an overall vision more than justifies her production credit shared with Nick Phillips.
JAZZIZ MAGAZINE - CD review/feature
by Michael Roberts Fall 2011 issue
https://www.jazziz.com/reviews/2011/11/16/karrin-allyson-round-midnight/
Moonlight Serenades -
Karrin Allyson explores the melancholy heart of bittersweet ballads
THE CW NETWORK/WGN-TV performance May 9, 2011
https://www.wgntv.com/news/middaynews/wgntv-music-lounge-karrin-allyson-round-midnight,0,5967703.story
Click the link above to watch Allyson perform 'April Come She Will' live, on The CW Network/WGN-TV in Chicago.
ALL MUSIC- CD Review By Matt Collar, 5/1/11 https://www.allmusic.com/album/round-midnight-r2113844/review
"Ultimately, it's Allyson's emotive voice and her ability to bring out these soft, bittersweet nuances in every track that makes 'Round Midnight such a listenable and heartfelt album."
ALL ABOUT JAZZ - CD review
By C. Michael Bailey, May 15, 2011
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=39431
"Karrin Allyson is a jazz singer's jazz singer."
BLOGCRITICS: CD Review By Jack Goodstein, 4/11/11
https://blogcritics.org/music/article/music-review-karrin-allyson-round-midnight/
Also ran via SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER and elsewhere.
"The elegant clarity of her voice, combined with the subtle nuances of her organic phrasing make these songs her own."
JAZZ POLICE - CD review
By Andrea Canter, May 1, 2011 Read the rave review, here:
https://www.jazzpolice.com/content/view/9586/79/
SOMETHINGELSEREVIEWS/
ALL ABOUT JAZZ - Sneak Peek Track By Nick DeRiso, May 11, 2011
https://somethingelsereviews.com/2011/05/11/half-notes-karrin-allyson-"april-come-she-will"-2011/
"A series of songs that are of an emotional piece, delicately conveyed and elegantly constructed — with "April" as a high-water mark."
WILDYSWORLD - 4-star CD review
5/1/11 BY WILDY HASKELL
https://wildysworld.blogspot.com/2011/05/karrin-allyson-round-midnight.html
"With a touch for phasing and a voice full of quiet beautiful,
Karrin Allyson will remind listeners of a time when it wasn't so much the singer as the song that mattered."
THEATERMANIA
By Andy Propst, 4/29/2011
https://www.theatermania.com/content/news.cfm?int_news_id=36602&int_city_id=1&intPage=3#content "Melancholy jazz has rarely proven more sultry than on this 11-song disc."
THE KANSAS CITY STAR -
Interview feature By Joe Klopus, May 4, 2011
https://www.kansascity.com/2011/05/04/2847108/karrin-allyson-comes-home-to-promote.html
"Part of the album's artistic success is its spontaneous feel."
NEXT MAGAZINE - Cd review
By
David Hurst, 5/2011 issue
https://www.nextmagazine.com/cd-reviews/karrin-allyson-sutton-foster-lynda-carter
"One of the jazz world's best-kept secrets, Grammy-nominated pianist and vocalist
Karrin Allyson has a new disc, 'Round Midnight, and it's terrific."
EAST BAY EXPRESS - CD review as preview:
https://www.eastbayexpress.com/ebx/karrin-allyson/Content?oid=2717988
Excerpt: "Much like Jimmy Scott, Tony Bennett, and Shirley Horn before her, Allyson is a master of snail-paced tempos…"
SF BAY TIMES preview:
https://www.sfbaytimes.com/?sec=article&article_id=15229
"Her skills are legendary within the industry & her ability to work in different languages & styles allows her such remarkable flexibility."
COLORADO WESTWORD Preview:
https://www.westword.com/events/karrin-allyson-1813088/
"…her finest to date. Allyson's vocals and piano playing sound absolutely sublime throughout the gorgeous interpretations…"
Veteran jazz critic Ted Panken previewed Birdland and
Round Midnight via his popular blog: https://tedpanken.wordpress.com/2011/05/31/the-pile-4-and-raw-copy-of-karrin-allysons-blindfold-test-from-about-ten-years-ago/
A lengthy preview article via JAZZPOLICE:
https://www.jazzpolice.com/content/view/9633/117/
And here: https://www.jazzpolice.com/content/view/9665/115/
Veteran jazz critic Don Heckman selected Allyson's Yoshi's gig as a PICK OF THE WEEK via his International Review of Music.
https://irom.wordpress.com/2011/06/05/picks-of-the-week-june-6---12/
"musicality, believability and a gorgeous vocal instrument"
4.5 star CD review as preview for Denver shows, via MARQUEE MAGAZINE: https://marqueemag.com/2011/07/01/karrin-allyson/
Article in Rochester Democrat & Chronicle:
https://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20110624/LIVING/106240323/What-our-critics-listening-to
DCist preview column: https://dcist.com/2011/06/this_week_in_jazz_145.php
WASHINGTON EXAMINER article:
https://washingtonexaminer.com/entertainment/music/2011/06/karrin-allyson-mixes-style-and-storytelling-blues-alley
BOSTON GLOBE - 'PICK OF THE DAY'
https://www.boston.com/ae/events/articles/2011/05/20/boston_area_things_to_do_list/
KANSAS CITY STAR - Concert review:
https://www.kansascity.com/2011/05/08/2858645/review-karrin-allyson-and-friends.html
PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE REVIEW - interview feature
https://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/ae/music/s_733199.html
THE RECORD-JOURNAL, CT — CD review: https://jpsmusicblog.blogspot.com/
PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE - Preview & review:
https://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11114/1140999-388.stm
https://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/ae/s_735048.html
PITT NEWS - CD Review:
https://pittnews.com/newsstory/jazz-singers-crooning-charming/
STRAIGHT NO CHASER JAZZ - Interview
https://straightnochaserjazz.libsyn.com/podcast-218-a-conversation-with-karrin-allyson
EXAMINER.COM syndicate - five-star review:
https://www.examiner.com/stage-and-screen-in-pittsburgh/karrin-allyson-pittsburgh-prepare-for-a-scorching-night-and-all-that-jazz-review
OUTSMART MAGAZINE: https://outsmartmagazine.com/2011/05/karrin-allyson-'round-midnight/
Riveting Riffs: https://www.rivetingriffs.com/Karrin%20Allyson%202011.html
JAM Magazine -https://karrin.com/reviews/041011rm-jam.html
On 'Round Midnight, Allyson is joined by her long time partner, guitarist Rod Fleeman, with Bob
Sheppard on woodwinds, harmonicist Randy Weinstein, bassist Ed Howard, whose previous associations include balladeer Shirley Horn, and drummer Matt Wilson.
'Round Midnight Track Listing:
1. Turn Out the Stars (Bill Evans-Gene Less)
2. April Come She Will (Paul Simon)
3. Goodbye (Gordon Jenkins)
4. I'm Always Chasing Rainbows (Harry Carroll-Joseph McCarthy)
5.
Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most (Fran Landesman-Tommy Wolf)
6.
Smile (Charlie Chaplin)
7. Sophisticated Lady (Duke Ellington-Irving Mills-Mitchell Parish)
8. There's No Such Thing As Love (Ian Fraser-Anthony Newley)
9. The Shadow of Your
Smile (Johnny Mandel-Paul Francis Webster)
10. Send In the Clowns (Stephen Sondheim)
11. 'Round Midnight (Thelonious Monk-Cootie Williams-Bernard Hanighen)
The album was recorded at Sear Sound in NYC, and was produced by
Karrin Allyson and Nick Phillips. The CD is available for via Amazon.com and other outlets. For more press information, Liner Notes, Bio, etc, journalists may visit the Concord Jazz Online Media Kit for 'Round Midnight: https://mediakits.concordmusicgroup.com/32662/
Karrin Allyson 2012 Tour Dates: https://www.karrin.com/tourdates.html.
