Tuck & Patti
Dream (Windham Jazz) (STAR)(STAR)(STAR)
Pitch transposers, synthesizers and other fancy gear notwithstanding, some artists are gravitating toward more basic, less high-tech music these days-and a steadily growing audience, perhaps disenchanted with the mechanical sound of today`s pop, is being drawn to their work. Tuck & Patti perform with just guitar (Tuck`s) and voice (Patti`s). The sound is spare, but certainly not cold. Patti`s dusky vocals, Tuck`s Wes Montgomery-influenced tone and songs with a subtly spiritual bent give T&P albums a warm glow. ”Dream”
follows much the same pattern laid down on the duo`s last two releases, though the covers here are a shade more sophisticated and Patti`s songwriting a tad stronger. Tuck has his moment to shine with a solo instrumental version of Stevie Wonder`s ”I Wish,” while Patti comes up with some savory scatting on Horace Silver`s ”Togetherness.” They make some beautiful music together on the witty ”Friends in High Places”; a folk-blues version of the Willie Dixon/J.B. Lenoir tune, ”The Voodoo Music”; an elegant rendering of Jimmy Cliff`s hit ”Sitting in Limbo”; and, to close the album, that old romantic favorite, ”As Time Goes By.”
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