Gina Fox - Her Name is Gina

Back Bender Records

www.ginafox.com

Gina Fox’ latest CD begins with Gina’s velvety vocals wrapped up with 10 piece band with a full, 1940’s big band sound on “Night Time,” and Gina got my attention right after the sax solos of Doug Sasfai (Gina Sicilia, Dave Gross), and Dennis Gruenling’s expert harmonica solo in between a horn section blowing old-school jazz. Her Name is Gina is Gina’s third studio CD, following her work with Dennis Gruenling (I Just Keep Loving Him, a Tribute to Little Walter, and Dennis Gruenling and Jump Time, That’s Right). She hails from New Jersey, and plays venues like the Salt Creek Grille in Princeton, and the Bayou Café in Freehold, but I hope that Her Name is Gina will get her noticed far beyond the boundaries of The Garden State.

This CD is unique in that some of the songs can land on radio programs featuring traditional jazz like Jimmy Sherman-Leonard “You Don’t Know Me,” or George Gershwin’s “How Long Has This Been Going On.” Neither of these would land on any blues radio playlist, but I hope readers will discover a vocalist equally adept not only with jazz standards but her own “One More Time,” built around Dennis’ harmonica and her duet with Paul Rishell, “You Don’t Know Me,” written by Cindy Walker and Eddy Arnold.

When you log on to Gina’s web site, “Now That I Belong To You,” the seventh cut from the CD, welcomes you to her online world. It’s an arresting, assertive, and welcoming introduction that highlights Doug Sasfai’s strong sax solo and Jeff Levine’s soulful B-3 beds (Jeff’s musical resume includes work with Willy Deville and New Jersey’s Southside Johnny). As sax solos go, it reminded me of you how powerfully a sax can inform a love song. Like Wayne Shorter’s star turn on Steely Dan’s “Deacon Blues” or Phil Woods’ sax solo on the Dan’s classic “Doctor Wu.”

Gina’s got a supple and versatile voice that can do justice to jazz and belt the blues, and I hope that Her Name is Gina will catch the ear of promoters, blues societies, and clubs to share in this exceptional vocalist’s talent.

Reviewer Eric Steiner is the President of the Washington Blues Society, the proud recipient of a 2009 Keeping the Blues Alive Award from the Blues Foundation. For more information, you can email Eric at president@wablues.org and visit www.wablues.org