Left Coast Story

Left Coast Story This page pertains to the original issue of Left Coast Story. On the 2nd pressing, the cover art was changed. There was much confusion as to the meaning of the 1st cover, so it was decided to add a less mysterious photo for all future printings. As per CD Baby's rules about changing cover art, this site will be closed once the remaining stock has been sold and there will be a new submission with the new cover. Everything else about the CD will remain the same, all music, inside cover, etc. Who knows, maybe this version will become highly valuable as a collector's item! Liner Notes: quot;Left Coastquot; has several connotations. It is used in reference to politics, to weather, and to location on a printed map, among other things. But for the many loyal fans of Jennifer Leitham, this Left Coast Story is the long-awaited result of several requests for her versions of music from West Side Story to be available on a CD. It is a quot;Left Coast Storyquot; because the disc was recorded in southern California by L.A. musicians, and the leader of the trio plays the bass left-handed. quot;Left Coastquot; also implies unconventionality, and that's the real story on this disc! This is not a quot;standardquot; jazz trio album. Take for example, the solo bass version of quot;Cast Your Fate to the Wind.quot; Jennifer makes the bass sound as though the bass viol was originally intended to be a solo instrument, to be handled more like a guitar than the giant time keeper and low voice it usually is. Her rendition of this jazzy pop tune is pyrotechnical, compelling, and contemporary, as she plays melody and rhythm. She plays great throughout the disc, but this piece demonstrates clearly why noted jazz critic Leonard Feather called her quot;the left-handed virtuoso of the upright bass.quot; Another unconventional treat on this recording is the presence of Richard Greene on violin and John Chiodini on the dobro-mandolin. Greene pioneered (with mandolinist David Grisman) a style of music called quot;New Grass,quot; a blend of jazz and bluegrass, among other styles. Jennifer's original quot;Studio City Stompquot; works well in this treatment. It includes Jennifer performing a kind of Slam Stewart-like vocal-and-bass solo in addition to singing the offbeat melody. The vocals on this are not unexpected as Jennifer did some swinging vocals on her previous disc. She's already proven she can deliver a fast-paced, tongue-twisting lyric, but it is always fun to hear her do it! What are unexpected are her vocal ballads, quot;Blame it On My Youthquot; and quot;Detour Ahead.quot; Jennifer shows off some impressive phrasing and control, as well as catching the poignancy of the lyrics. Really pushing the boundaries is quot;Ghost.quot; It was written by Emily Saliers of Indigo Girls fame. Jennifer fits comfortably into the country folk vocal style, which, I admit, took me completely by surprise! It also features Greene again on violin, with Chiodini on guitar, and subtle back-up vocals by Ginger Berglund and Jane Brucker. Some words should be said about pianist Josh Nelson and drummer Randy Drake. They follow Jennifer effortlessly through her eclectic journey, accenting, enhancing, and dazzling along the way. Listen to what Randy is doing throughout quot;Dreamsville.quot; Very tricky! And Josh has impeccable technique, changing rhythms and tempos seemingly with ease, playing unexpected harmonies, and swinging all the way. I LOVE what he plays on quot;Something's Coming.quot; Jennifer's passionate commitment to her music and her vivacity of spirit make her p