PERSONNEL
Mary Ann Douglas (Vcls); Mundell Lowe (Electric/Acoustic Guitars); John Rekevics (Sax [tenor] Flute);
Rob Whitlock (Piano Keyboards); Bob Magnusson (Acoustic Bass); Jim Plank (Percussion).

SONGS

1. Move Over, Blues. 2. Something ‘bout The Moon. 3. Don’t Know How. 4. Look What You’ve Done Now. 5. Never Ever, My Love.
6. Dancin’ With The Devil. 7. In Better Times. 8. Reverie. 9. Unfinished Business. 10. What Kind Of Love Is This? 11. Before Life Got To You.
12. Love Makes Martyrs Of Us All. 13.The Hardest Thing I Do. 14. Love’s Waiting. 15. Give Me Back My Soul. 16. When Will I Get Over You. 17. That’s What You Do. 18. The Way It Always Is.

Recorded over 4 days September 2005 at Spragueland Studios
Music and Lyrics by Mary Ann Douglas – E-mail maryanndouglas@msn.com
Magdalene Records MGDL 1004 – Arranged and conducted Mundell Lowe 2007

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In my youth – still a boy, I used to lie in dreamland for hours in the gloaming or relaxing in dimmed lighting Winter evenings, listening to the
LP record “Songs for Swinging Lovers” by singer Frank Sinatra and the Nelson Riddle backing big band now in the possession of my youngest daughter. Although not referred to during the swing period there were always strings of jazz vibes I loved hearing that came out from their music.

As a young man and in the in between years, it was always a dream when I was able to listen to a Traditional jazz band playing
“Love Songs Of The Nile” in their gig programme at any night, pub and place that I'd spent there listening to them.

Now - 60 years down the road at a time when I can easily come to terms of being in a sense “Let’s, Just Be Friends” seeing it through the eyes of comparative grownup outlook – on receiving the Mary Ann Douglas “Unfinished Business:” CD from California for review, I can with delight look back on those bewitched, bothered and bewildering days of joy once more through this form of renewed listening pleasure.

Outwith Mary Ann Douglas having a unique amorous, heartfelt sensuous voice, so unquestionably desirable - that is to say, she is also an adept and gifted songwriter with a rare insight to mellifluous musical sweet-sounding interpretations befitting her choice eighteen animated songs.

I watched, what I’ll call it, the European Frolicking Songs of 24 Acts Contest, held in Helsinki, Finland 2007 last night
Song Contest - being unbelievably disparaged by the BBC ONE TV programme presenter for its incessant loud, monotonous, repetition drumming din, their exhausting cymbals bang-clanging - rapped up together in package with the scream-shouting singers of most acts sounding the same, which except for two countries (Germany, Serbia) I was with him in full agreement – moronic - putting me down in the dumps and the promoters of it up in pent-houses.

By putting forward this European formidable event in contrast to the “Unfinished Business” CD album by Mary Ann Douglas - one will find the musical world far, far richer for being in possession of her remarkable volume of love songs - for such tender beauty that it is - is a joy forever.

A real romantic story of personal written songs, sung by a lady set to styled jazz music.

This Douglas backing quintet is ahead of its time. The opening of each song gets special treatment with a variant instrument playing to the apogee of sound quality, the pinnacle of the instrument’s capability. Song three comes over divine please tell what instrument it is?

There are literally hundreds of song lines covering the complete album, with remarkable perception the chosen words blend in, in perfect feeling for the tune, the portrait of the song and its composition complete – when listening to this sentimental jazz music - follow the words in the album booklet.

Each song has a chorus, and there is absolutely no diminution in tone quality of voice nor from the Douglas instruments from the beginning to the end of the album as the jazz artists undertake their selected 12 bars or more breaks: on drums; flute; guitar; piano; sax as complementary to each title of the tune as may be – it’s delightful, and it is a perfect blend of understanding the words, chosen for their particular matching song at the time.

For “grace and beauty” between any of the Mary Ann Douglas album “Unfinished Business” 18 romantic love songs and,
any of the 24 “European Song Contest 2007” songs - is a million-miles apart.

Kings Jazz Review - Tuesday the 15th of May 2007

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