JAZZY REVIEWS: At the Break of Day - Richard Otto & Sarah McLawler

This album is a collection of anomalies, starting with the husband-and-wife team of Richard Otto and Sarah McLawler. Richard is a classically trained concert violinist that happens to know how to swing the bow. Sarah is one of just a couple of female jazz organists, the other being Shirley Scott. Together this odd duo makes some of the most enjoyable, swinging jazz in my collection.  To their credit, they have three LPs, all of which are fabulous. As far as I can tell, they have not been reissued.

“At the Break of Day” has a soft side and a swinging side, but every track is exciting. There is plenty of variety to keep you from nodding off. They start side A with 6 lovely standard ballads including “What’s New”, “Man with the Horn”, “The Midnight Sun Will Never Set”, “September Song”, “I Could Write a Book”, and “Our Love Is Here to Stay”. Richard plays the melody on most, using both the bow and pizzicato violin techniques, obviously showing his formal training. Sarah takes the harmony and bass lines and delivers a feast of beautiful backing, along with strikingly low bass. Kudos to VeeJay and their engineers for capturing the incredible bass notes of the Hammond B-3 organ so perfectly!

Side B is the swinging side and gives both Richard and Sarah a chance to swing wildly. Titles include “At the Break of Day”, “Git It”, “Drum Boogie”, “Take the A Train” and “Swinging the Bow”. I applaud them for their selection of tunes, not doing the same old stuff! Who else would think of taking Gene Krupa’s “Drum Boogie” and adapting it to violin and organ? Side 2 also has an unknown drummer adding rhythm to the duo.

Richard and Sarah recorded 2 other LPs entitled “We Bring You Love”, and “We Bring You Swing”. All 3 albums are worth finding and adding to your collection. They know how to swing and how to create an atmosphere of intrigue.

Performance-9 out of 10-They are exceptional on their respected instruments and blend both jazz ballads and swing together seamlessly.

Recording-10 out of 10-Engineering is stunning with the sharpest G violin note and the lowest organ bass note captured perfectly. Kudos to the studio and whomever mastered these LPs. They are a great work out for your system!

Content-10 out of 10-These three LPs leave me wanting much more. What happened to them and why did they only make 3 albums? The selections and variety of tempos is just right to keep me wondering what they will come up with next. If you can find these, buy them!  They will be worth the price!!

Footnote: The album “We Bring You Swing” I found several years ago in a small thrift store along the Oregon Coast. I was elated to locate their third album and kept the sales receipt inside the jacket showing I paid five cents (yes, a nickel) for it in near mint condition!