You Are There

by Irene Kral

Overview

Irene Kral belongs to a group of singers under recorded by the music industry and unknown by too many jazz followers. But like other members of this group, she is valued by musicians and by a small, dedicated clutch of fans. Others falling into this category include Sue Raney, Blossom Dearie, and Dave Frishberg. Sometimes dubbed cult singers, their enormous skills are not given the recognition they deserve. Kral recorded this album in South Carolina, a little more than a year before she succumbed to cancer in 1978. Never flashy, Kral takes what each song gives her with little embellishment. There are no swoops, sweeps, grunts, or other assorted, irrelevant noises. But one has to listen closely to her subtle ways, a bit more behind the beat here, a little more hesitation there, a slight inflection somewhere else, all designed to make each delivery special. Here there are a few of the 22 selections that don't offer much and make it difficult even for a consummate storyteller like Kral to make a lot of them. But, for the most part, there are precious gems to be savored and enjoyed. "A Child Is Born," a poignant and perhaps prescient "Summer Me, Winter Me" and "You Were There" are a few. She reprises some songs she had recorded earlier in her career, "A Time for Love" and "Small Day Tomorrow," dressing them slightly different from the earlier versions. The sympathetic pianism of Loonis McGlohon graces this session. This pianist has accompanied several members of the "cult" Kral belongs, to such as Mabel Mercer, Johnny Hartman, and Teddi King, to cite a few. Despite its recording location, the sound is excellent. You Are There is a legacy of a singer who deserves far more than cult status. ~ Dave Nathan

Product Details

Release Date:	12/03/1999
Label:	AUDIOPHILE
UPC:	0762247229926

Tracks

1. Watch What Happens
2. If Love Were All
3. Emily
4. Wheelers and Dealers
5. What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?
6. Mad About the Boy
7. The Underdog
8. You Were There
9. A Child Is Born
10. The Shadow of Your Smile
11. A Time for Love
12. The Winds of Heaven
13. I'll Follow My Secret Heart/Someday I'll Find You/I'll See You Again
14. Small Day Tomorrow
15. Pieces of Dreams (Little Boy Lost)
16. Unlit Room
17. Summer Me, Winter Me
18. Love Came on Stealthy Fingers
19. A Room With a View
20. Nothing Like You (An Extravagant Love Song)
21. You Are There
22. I Like It Here (And This Is Where I'll Stay)

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Irene Kral   Primary Artist,Vocals
Loonis McGlohon   Guest Artist,Piano

Technical Credits

Michel Legrand   Composer
Johnny Mercer   Composer
Loonis McGlohon   Composer,Arranger
Marilyn Bergman   Composer
Johnny Mandel   Composer
James Gavin   Liner Notes
Thad Jones   Composer
Bob Dorough   Composer
Parker Dinkins   Tape Transfer,Editing
Wendell Echols   Production Coordination
Fran Landesman   Composer
Norman Gimbel   Composer
Dick Phipps   Producer
Paul Francis Webster   Composer
Alan Bergman   Composer
Noel Coward   Composer
Alec Wilder   Composer
Dave Frishberg   Composer