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What do a guitarist from Oklahoma, who studied at Stanford University and a San Franciscan, classically trained vocalist have in common? Evidently quite a bit, as the duo of Tuck & Patti has been together for about a quarter of a century. Legend has it that Patricia Cathcart and William Charles Andress (hereto known as Tuck and Patti) met in Las Vegas and luckily for the world what happened there didn’t stay there. "Tears Of Joy" was the first major release to come from this duo, on Windham Hills. The title song here is a co-written original that starts things off with an upbeat, jazzy feel. The next song is another original, this time with a slow, wispy feel. The first thing you notice about any T&P song is the clarity in the recording. No one else performs on any of their songs, but Angress’ skill gives the listener the impression that there may be more guitar players. They are proud to announce use the statement “all selections recorded live in the studio (no overdubbing, punching in or editing)” … and with good reason! No one else could do this many cover tunes and get away with it. How do they do it? They rework each song and giving it their own unique signature. I've Got Just About Everything helped re-introduce Natalie Cole and even Tony Bennett to jazz and improvisation. But, dare I say it, no one can perform this song like these two together. The plucking and slapping of Tuck and the rich, contralto vocals of Patti blend together perfectly. Maybe only a husband and wife could achieve this kind of intimate timing. Next is a cover of Cyndi Lauper and Rob Hyman’s Time After Time that I think is possibly more touching than the original. Cathcart easily glides up and back down while Andress plays along perfectly with a great solo near the end. This is one of the most perfectly recorded songs of all time in my book. Before things get too touching Everything's Gonna Be Alright immediately picks up the pace. Jazz and improvisation with a pop flare is the only way I can think to describe this song. Once again the hollow body sound of the guitar never interferes with the beauty of the vocals. Cathcart gives us only a glimpse of her infamous scat skills. Better Than Anything Patti pulls out all the scat skills along with some great breath control. Tuck moves keeps up, setting his own pace. This is one of my favorite songs of all time. The timing of both performers can’t be matched. The entire CD is worth this one song. If all the quick pace of the last piece wore you out, the next song is a mellow rendition of Rogers and Hart’s My Romance. This one is about as mellow as you can get. Patti’s vocals take if all the way, the listener is totally relaxed and immersed. Tuck finally gets some solo time on Wes Montgomery’s Up And At It and he utilizes it to the fullest. When this album first came out Andress’ name was at once placed up there with Joe Pass and Steve Vai. Tuck can be sometimes tediously modest, but here he shows how great a player he is. Andress later put out a solo instrumental of his own in 1990 entitled Reckless Precision and a CD of Xmas music, I wish we could get some more stuff out of him. "Tears Of Joy" concludes with another very mellow song Mad Mad Me. Tuck and Patti can sometimes really push the limits in the mellow department, but their extraordinary musical skills always keep it from being dull. The Tuck & Patti website shares the love. The news section hasn’t been updated in awhile, but the schedule of performances is current. There is a great Q&A section on how they create their music, their personal lives, and their creative inspiration. Tuck’s corner includes incredible info on chord voicings, picking and finder style techniques. These sections make the site. Besides giving the personal touch, the site is a great place for some advise. Tuck & Patti would go on to cover The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix in their on unique way in later years. T&P left Windham Hills around 1995 but, being the independent sprits they are they eventually moved on to their own label appropriately named T&P Records. If you have never heard them this is the best introduction. If you have, Tuck & Patti are well worth any trip to go see live, even though it is hard to believe that they can be any better than their recordings. |
Regressive Music Review