JAZZY REVIEWS: Steveireno - Steve Allen & Irene Kral

When baby boomers hear the name Steve Allen, they immediately think talk show host or comedian. While that is true, Steve had more facets than a 10-carat diamond. Besides being that well-respected talk show host and first-rate comedian, he also is a jazz pianist, composer, singer and actor. Remember the hit song, “This Could Be the Start of Something Big” or his leading role as Benny Goodman in “The Benny Goodman Story”? What many don’t know is that Steve penned some 4,000 songs in his lifetime. Sadly, only a few dozen were ever recorded. Both Les Brown and Ray Anthony saw it fit to do a full album instrumentally of Steve’s works, but then jazz vocalist Irene Kral comes along and creates this masterful record simply called “Steveireno!” on United Artists. I say masterful holding no reserve either, because with the golden jazz voice of Kral and the all-star big band backing her, how can you go wrong vocalizing Steve’s songs?

Let’s start with the band led by Herb Pomeroy, one who gets little recognition today. Take a look at the personnel he hired for this gig: we have Zoot Sims, Joe Newman, Hank Jones, Urbie Green, Jimmy Raney and Charlie Persip to mention just a few. Add to that the gifted jazz voice of Irene Kral and throw in some of Allen’s best compositions and there you have the perfect recipe for an outstanding dish of jazz. While every track is good, and I rarely acclaim to that, the stand-out both lyrically and musically has to be Steve’s gorgeous masterpiece “Impossible”. This track brings perfection to a new level as only Allen could. The lyrics speak of love, but in an appreciative way, bringing to my mind a young man sitting across a candlelit table from his one love, letting her know just how much she means to him and if someone had ever told him he would be so in love he would have said “Impossible”. Folks, this is the stuff that great romantic songs wish they all could be.

The album was reissued on CD in 2011 on the Fresh Sounds label and some sources still have copies available. Few albums get as much praise as this one, combining the voice of Kral, the big band led by Pomeroy and the still-fresh-today compositions of Allen, plus as an added bonus, a beautifully engineered recording!

Performance 10/10 both for Kral and the all-star band with tasteful solo work not over-done.

Recording 10/10 sounds great, perfect balance of voice to band.

Overall 10/10 RARE that I give any recording a perfect score, but when you bring this much genius together, it was bound to happen!