Swingin' Til the Girls Come Home

After Yolande Bavan replaced an ill Annie Ross in 1962, the vocal trio of Lambert, Hendricks and Bavan recorded three albums before disbanding in early 1964. This CD has some of the highpoints from each of the three albums: a trio date with guest Pony Poindexter on soprano from Basin Street East, an appearance at the 1963 Newport Jazz Festival (which has spots for trumpeter Clark Terry and tenor saxophonist Coleman Hawkins) and a performance from the Village Gate with cornetist Thad Jones and tenorman Booker Ervin. All of the guests get some solo space and the vocalists particularly sound strong on "Doodlin'," "Cousin Mary," "Swingin' Till the Girls Come Home," Hendricks' "Gimme That Wine," "Watermelon Man" and "Cloudburst." The Ceylonese singer Bavan definitely gave the group a slightly different sound than it had had with Ross, but she was not as strong a soloist although Bavan fared well in the ensembles. This CD gives one a definitive look at the group and is well worth picking up.