Susie Arioli Swing Band/Susie Arioli: Susie Arioli; Michael Jerome Browne (guitar); Jordan Officer (guitars); Shane MacKenzie (bass instrument); Jason Valleau, Sheldon Valleau, John McColgan.
Personnel: Susie Arioli (vocals, snare drum); Jordan Officer (vocals, guitar); Jason Valleau, Sheldon Valleau (vocals); John McColgan (percussion).
Recording information: Studio Victor, Montreal, Quebec, Canada (02/2005-03/2005).
Photographer: Claudine Sauv?.
Arranger: Jordan Officer.
While singer Susie Arioli and guitarist Jordan Officer usually team up for renditions of Django Reinhardt-flavored swing classics, Learn to Smile Again is a change of pace. Most of the repertoire is taken from the book of Roger Miller (although "King of the Road" is bypassed), and this is a surprisingly natural fit since both Arioli (who has a quietly beautiful voice) and Officer have a real feel for vintage country/pop/folk music. Assisted by rhythm guitar, bass, quiet percussion, and the background vocals of Jason and Sheldon Valleau, this lyrical and heartfelt effort (which also includes two originals and the vintage "By Myself") is an offbeat success, logical in hindsight if not inevitable. ~ Scott Yanow
Professional Reviews
JazzTimes (p.106) - "[Each song is] a glorious testament to Miller's talent for clever wordplay."
