So Many Ways

Dennis Rafflelock lives and works in rather pleasant surroundings in eastern Long Island. For his first album, he's chosen to go the route of a mixed instrumental and vocal (mostly vocal) presentation. On some of the cuts, such as "Manha de Carnaval," he relies on his trio, in which he plays bass, but which is spearheaded by very good piano player Wayne Sabella. On such vocal tracks as "That's All" and "It Had to Be You" he displays a nice, softly modulated set of pipes with limited range, falling somewhere in between Mose Allison, less the hip, and Matt Dennis. This is the kind of album one hears in watering holes located in Peconic, Hampton Bays, Wading River, and other nice little towns "out on the Island." And these days, that's not a bad endorsement at all. It is also a pleasant set of music to have in the background while pursuing other relaxations (e.g., reading, dining). As much as Rafflelock has a caressing, but not earth-shattering, way with lyrics, it's Sabella's nicely struck and toned piano that lifts this album out of the ordinary. Recommended for those days when the occasion calls for good music that's unassumingly played rather than for the daring and innovative.