Love Spook - review by Scott Yanow

Scott Yanow for All Music Guide

Katie Bull has an unusual and adventurous singing style. Sometimes she sounds quite bluish, at other times, as during "On A Clear Day," she emphasizes icy long tones. She is a bit touching on "I'll Be Seeing You" (a duet with pianist Frank Kimbrough) without being predictable and scats well on a 6/4 version of "Watch What Happens." The singer holds her own with her talented sidemen, a pair of piano trios, both with drummer Matt Wilson, that splits the program evenly. In addition to her singing, Katie Bull contributed six of the dozen songs including the humorous "No Connection Rag," the perfectly odd "Strange," the sensuous if bizarre "Love Spook" and the "Leftover Blues." The CD concludes with a "hidden" 13th selection that is a free improvisation. Katie Bull's thoughtful music grows in interest with each listen and this set is a major improvement over her earlier CD.

Reprinted with permission. Copyright © 2006 All Media Guide, LLC and Scott Yanow.