Attention Jazz Listeners

This is Terrill S. Wyche for OpenAir.

I recently downloaded two albums from iTunes by the vocalist Tom Lellis. The albums are entitled 'Double Entendre' and 'Southern Exposure.' The Double Entendre album features his rendition of Herbie Hancock's 'Tell Me a Bedtime Story' which Hancock originally recorded on the 'Fat Albert Rotunda' album.

On the Double Entendre album, Lellis is backed by legendary bassist Eddie Gomez and drummer Jack DeJohnette. While Lellis accompanies himself on most of the tracks, Allen Farnham plays piano on some of the pieces. The real reason that Tom Lellis didn't get more exposure is that his talents were overlooked. This is a shame because we, the committed jazz fans, missed out. Lellis was 45 years old when this album was released in 1991, but time didn't seem to negatively affect his voice or his creative vision.
(Source: www.apple.com/itunes).

The second album, 'Southern Exposure,' is aptly named because Lellis demonstrates his ability to recreate the beauty of the music of Brazil, particularly the carioca sound of Rio that produced such music styles as Bossa Nova (Remember 'The Girl from Ipanema?).
This abum was was released in 2003, but Lellis proves to be ageless. To me, he actually sounds as if the years between the releases of 'Double Entendre' and 'Southern Exposure' have actually helped him to refine, not that he really needed to. How do you 'mack out' a Rolls Royce? Why would anyone need to? Anyway, I digress. When I heard his rendition of Bridges by Milton Nascimento, a song near to my heart that I personally have attempted to sing and play at the Meetery Eatery and Beans and Bytes, Lellis moved me to tears.

Now, I'm not sure if Windows PC users can download the album, but here is the link:
www.apple.com/itunes. If you can't access it, contact me at www.openairpresents@yahoo.com.

This has been Terrill S. Wyche for OpenAir. Thanks.