Clifton Davis – Never Can Say Goodbye – CD Review
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Plastic – CD
Surface noise: N/A
Dynamic Range: 4+
Stereo Imaging: 4
Image depth/perspective: 4
Overall frequency response: 4
Please see here for my comments on reviewing albums.
Track List:
- I’ve Never Been in Love Before
- Never Can Say Goodbye
- Two for the Road
- Swept Away
- The Folks Who Live on the Hill
- Too Marvelous
- So Many Stars
- Compare de Novo
- Somewhere in the Hills
- Teach Me Tonight
- Minha Alma
- Leaving It Up to You
Clifton Davis – Never Can Say Goodbye
“It’s not easy to choose which of CLIFTON DAVIS‘ many accomplishments is most noteworthy, although writing “Never Can Say Goodbye“, made famous by The Jackson 5 and recorded by dozens of other artists, may be the one most people are familiar with. Now, after a long and enviable career, the singer, songwriter, actor, and minister can chalk up another success with the release of this debut jazz album Never Can Say Goodbye.”
This album was recorded, mixed and mastered at Wildwood Recording, Franklin, Tennessee, by its owner Brendan Harkin.
Let me first say that this album took me straight to a bar on Bourbon Street, New Orleans. The room was full of smoke, I was sitting at a small table, with a glass of bourbon in one hand, a smoke in the other and the clock had just struck midnight! The album is generally lush and romantic giving the listener a personnel rendition of every song. With a selection of songs from composers like Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein, Henry Mancini and Sergio Mendes this is a selection of classical easy listening jazz.
As a CD there was no surface noise and virtually no increase in noise floor as the tracks were faded up. Even with this non-existent noise floor and jazz style, the recording’s dynamics did not reach what I know can easily be achieved on CD. The imaging was consistent and the tracks provided some image depth. As a studio recording, instruments showed limited vertical separation remaining in the same horizontal plane and height between the speakers. As easy listening jazz, gut punching dynamics and eye popping imaging would rarely be the engineers and performers quest.
The recording provides a very intimate performance by Clifton. There seemed to be few restrictions to the dynamics of his vocal range whereas most backing instruments, except the piano, were set well back in the mix with more restricted dynamics, including the kit. His voice was natural, having good annunciation, no undue emphasis to any part of the vocal range and had very little reverb, at times seeming to be totally ‘dry’. The close miking rarely accentuating any sibilance. Turning my lights off, and with no visual distractions, Clifton didn’t quite make it into my room, despite an excellent front center image.
Musicianship and vocals were tight and enjoyable providing an entertaining musical performance. Stereo imaging was a little soft for the backing vocals and strings, both of which providing a broad image. The piano, which on occasions ‘stole the show’, was dynamic and sounded wonderfully natural, but again was well spread across the image. The cymbals, hi-hat and snare brush work were very detailed, bright and clean with no signs of being brittle or hard, providing pin-point imaging. Toms were rarely heard but when struck had a short well damped ring, as did the snare. The kick drum rarely appeared, except on track 9, where is was tight and punchy with just a little reverb. The entire kit always being correctly positioned well behind Clifton. The double bass, whose level varied considerably both within a track and between tracks was a little low at times, almost vanishing into the mix, and on occasions seems slightly muffled. It does however redeem itself in several tracks such as T6 and T9 where it provides a solid solo.
The various acoustical strings and synths were well detailed, showing no sign of being strident and together with the backing vocals and other instruments like the accordion, had just a touch of reverb added that you occasionally hear tail out. Backing vocals were warm and mellow complementing Cliftons’ more dynamic vocals.
I cannot say that any track really stands out, all providing a similar warm, lush and laid back jazz feel. If you want a bit more of an upbeat presentation T1, T6 and especially T10 would be my choices.
I suspect that most purchasers of this CD, and especially the MP3 version, will not be analyzing its technical qualities. They will be enjoying the music, musicianship, and Clifton Davis and his partners renditions of the various classical and home spun songs.
Buy the MP3 from Amazon here.
Buy direct from Clifton Davis here.
See my other Mouthpiece Music jazz reviews here.
See here for my introduction to Mouthpiece Music.
Playback note: Several combinations of players, Oppo 205 & Denon DBP A100, and connectivity, analog, HDMI and Denon Link 3 were all auditioned during this review to support the 16bit LPCM 44.1 KHz sample rate. The resulting selection of the A100 and DL3 providing the better musical experience.
Disclosure: This CD was provided by Mouthpiece Music for my review. No financial compensation was provided.
