The Delirium Blues Project: Serve or Suffer

The Delirium Blues Project: Serve or Suffer is the first album released under the joint leadership of Roseanna Vitro and Kenny Werner. It was recorded live at the Blue Note in New York in August 2007, and released in 2008 on the Half Note label.

The Delirium Blues Project: Serve or Suffer
Live album by
ReleasedMarch 25, 2008 [1]
RecordedAugust 14–19, 2007 at the Blue Note, New York [2]
GenreVocal jazz, R&B, blues
Length60:21 [1]
LabelHalf Note Records
HN4534 [3]
ProducerJeffrey Levenson [4]
Roseanna Vitro chronology
Live at the Kennedy Center
(2007)
The Delirium Blues Project: Serve or Suffer
(2008)
The Music of Randy Newman
(2011)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
All About Jazz[5]
AllMusic[1]
JazzTimesfavorable[6]
Vintage Guitarfavorable[7]
External audio
audio icon You may listen to "What is Hip?" here

Reception

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On a 1-to-5 scale, All About Jazz awarded the album 3 stars; AllMusic, 4 and a half. Writing for the former, Chris Slawecky notes Werner's "head-spinning arrangements," as well as strong soloing from trumpeter Randy Brecker, trombonist Ray Anderson, saxophonist James Carter, guitarist Adam Rogers and Werner himself on multiple keyboards.[5] AllMusic's Ken Dryden also cites "Werner's inspired charts," as well as "Vitro's expressive vocals":

Vitro's moving vocal in the moody "Blue" (first recorded by Lambert, Hendricks & Ross with Annie Ross singing lead), backed by the dramatic horns, is breathtaking; her blues-drenched take of Mose Allison's "Everybody's Crying Mercy" is pure fun. Bassist John Pattitucci provides Vitro's sole backing for the simmering take of "In the Dark" (in honor of Nina Simone). Folk-rocker Joni Mitchell's "Be Cool" helps to lighten the mood a bit, while Vitro conjures a number of soul singers with her hip take of "Cheater Man."[1]

Track listing

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  1. "What Is Hip?" (Emilio Castillo, John David Garibaldi, Stephen M. Kupka) - 5:59
  2. "Goodnight Nelda Grebe, the Telephone Company Has Cut Us Off" (Tracy Nelson) - 9:05
  3. "Blue" (Gildo Mahones, Jon Hendricks) - 7:40
  4. "Be Cool" (Joni Mitchell) - 4:24
  5. "Half Moon" (Janis Joplin) - 8:07
  6. "In the Dark" (Lillian "Lil" Green) - 5:13
  7. "Cheater Man" (Spooner Oldham, Dan Penn) - 4:45
  8. "Everybody's Cryin' Mercy" (Mose Allison) - 6:42
  9. "Don't Ever Let Nobody Drag Your Spirit Down" (Eric Bibb, Maria Muldaur) - 8:26

Personnel

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d Dryden, Ken. "Delirium Blues Project: Serve or Suffer" Allmusic. Retrieved 2015-05-12.
  2. ^ "The Delirium Blues Project: Serve or Suffer (Musical CD, 2011)". WorldCat. Retrieved 2015-05-12.
  3. ^ "Discography". RoseannaVitro.com. Retrieved 2015-05-16.
  4. ^ "Discography". RoseannaVitro.com. Retrieved 2015-05-16.
  5. ^ a b Slawecky, Cris, M. "Delirium Blues Project: Serve or Suffer (2008)" All About Jazz. November 11, 2008. Retrieved 2015-05-12.
  6. ^ Loudon, Christopher. "Roseanna Vitro & Kenny Werner: Delirium Blues Project: Serve or Suffer" JazzTimes. May 2008. Retrieved 2015-05-12.
  7. ^ Forte, Dan. "Delirium Blues Project: Serve or Suffer" Vintage Guitar. July 10, 2011. Retrieved 2015-05-10.