While the City Sleeps...

by Frank Rubolino

"I have had the perception of late that the current Jazz vocal field was dominated by women, but males appear to be holding their own in the genre. ...

[E.J.] Decker sings in a deep baritone voice while being accompanied by an up-tempo quintet on While the City Sleeps... (Candela EJ9265). His presentation is lush, and his songs have a tinge of brash elegance. Decker has a way of presenting his tunes using dynamic flair, and he commands attention through his direct and forceful delivery. He seems to prefer singing lesser-exposed standards, and he displays a bold stroke of authority on each of them. He also composed one of the program's ballads where his low voice effectively stretches and holds the notes. Decker keeps the melody line always in sight, but he does have a knack for accentuating phrases and word endings to give uniqueness to his performance. He occasionally dips into emulation of the Elvis Presley deep throated, rolled-word approach, but he is able to carry it off without seeming overly imitative.

"The band, consisting of trumpeter [Randy] Sandke and tenor player [Bob] Kindred in front of the [Les] Kurtz, [Dave] Hofstra, [Tom] Melito piano trio, plays with incisive strokes in keeping with the pace set by Decker and his strong voice. They are able to get brassy and overt without diminishing Decker's role. The band stretches out with choruses of swinging music during the vocal breaks, filling in all the spaces with full-bodied blowing. Even with all its strength, the band does not steal any of the thunder of Decker. When he reenters, he is in full charge, giving a fruity flavor to each tune. Decker sings many romantic tunes, but he does not come across as a sentimental romantic. There is just too much punch in his style to make that association. Nevertheless, he is a solid entertainer."