Jonathan Poretz blends his silky voice with a fresh, exciting, and ever-swinging take on the Great American Songbook.

With 'At Last... Songs For Elena,' the long-awaited follow up to his debut CD, 'A Lot Of Livin' To Do,' Pacific Coast Jazz artist Jonathan Poretz again blends his silky, low tenor voice with fresh takes on some of the best-loved Great American Songbook titles. Whether swinging hard or crooning a ballad, Jonathan's voice now has a deeper resonance to better convey the emotional nuances of every song lyric.

The 16-song compilation of jazz standards features arrangements Jonathan developed over the last 12 years performing live with his trio - pianist Lee Bloom, bassist Jeff Neighbor, and drummer Kent Bryson. With added percussion throughout by Raul Ramirez, and guest appearances by reedman extraordinaire Noel Jewkes and trumpeter Erik Jekabson, 'At Last... Songs For Elena' is beautifully paced - moving gracefully through tempo, mood, and emotion, to offer something personal and special for every listener.

With its NOLA-inspired opening to the title track, 'At Last... Songs For Elena' explodes out of the gate with high octane tunes, including an up-tempo 'It's All Right With Me' and the Latin-infused 'I've Got You Under My Skin.' When he follows with 'I Have Dreamed,' which noted author/music critic Will Friedwald calls 'one of the subtler, more direct and moving performances' of the song he's ever heard, Jonathan demonstrates his softer, romantic side - and it's just as pleasing.

Noel Jewkes, who co-starred on Jonathan's first effort, brings his soulful tenor sax to 'At Last' and 'Lover Come Back To Me,' then switches to clarinet for a bravura turn on 'All Or Nothing At All.' Trumpeter Erik Jekabson does a sweet pas de deux on flugelhorn with Lee Bloom on 'Alfie,' then follows with some moody magic on 'In The Still Of The Night,' as he weaves in and out of Jonathan's vocals.

Other cuts include 'Old Devil Moon,' 'The End Of A Love Affair,' 'What A Wonderful World,' and the rarely recorded 'We've Got A World That Swings.'

Additional Details

Label: Pacific Coast Jazz

Genre: Jazz

Language: English

Run Time: 73:03 mins

Region: 0

Release Date: 09/07/18

UPC: 829166518095