MUSIC

ALL ABOUT JAZZ
JaRon Eames is gaining a degree of recognition lately among the late-night TV crowd on the island known as Manhattan. That's because his jazz interview show, The JaRon Eames Show, is televised on community Channel 34. Featuring interviews with legends like Oscar Peterson, Nancy Wilson, Jimmy Scott and Randy Weston, the real star of the show is Eames himself. With unflagging curiosity, he probes his guests for nuggets of information, and surprisingly, they provide such nuggets! The most interesting feature of the show, as one studies the faces of his famous guests, is their ease in talking to him.
Since his profile is rising, it may be useful to review Eames last CD from 1996, Sounds Good To Me! The revelation of the CD is the fact that the style of Eames seems to arise from the influences of the vocalists he invites onto his show. Indeed, by referring to the well-known styles of Jimmy Scott, Nancy Wilson, or Dakota Staton, Eames has developed his own niche as a get-out-of-your-seat-and-dance practitioner of a style that blends R&B with jazz. That's why Sam Cooke's “A Change Is Gonna Come” fits in with the repertoire of the remaining tunes like “Save Your Love For Me” or “Them There Eyes.”

JAZZTIMES
New York vocalist JaRon Eames phrases expertly, swings righteously, and warbles dynamically on this compelling independently-produced debut album of 11 jazz-blues classics by Louis Jordan, Jerome Kern, T. Bone Walker, Buddy Johnson, and others. In any tempo, Eames demonstrates commendable mid-range vocal control and a precise sense of time. Amy Quint (piano), Akira Ando (bass), Walter Perkins (drums), Ethan Mann (guitar), and Michael Weisberger (tenor & alto saxes) provide fine solos and superb rhythm backing for Eames to sing his bluesy heart out.
Nancy Ann Lee

CADENCE
Finally, we come to JaRon Eames who gets this thing right. Eames' bag, as demonstrated on his last CD is to sing relaxed, Jazzy versions of old rhythm and blues classics. This time he delves into the repertoires of Sam Cooke, Jackie Wilson, Big Joe Turner, and Louis Jordan and comes out a winner each time. Eames has a high tenor voice close to Clyde McPhatter's, and he uses it well, massaging their old songs at slow, strutting tempos. Most of the arrangements are true to the R'n'B big beat ideal, through "Shake Rattle and Roll" has its beat smoothed over. A couple of standards are also added to the mix. "The Song Is You" is taken at a blistering tempo and "Guilty" is done in a mannered torch style. As for the musicians, Amy Quint plays good hard-charging piano throughout and Ethan Mann plays breezy single-string blues guitar solos like T-Bone Walker. Eames has settled into a unique and attractive style. Hopefully, he'll find an audience for it someday.
Jerome Wilson

LIVING BLUES
The play list includes sons from Louis Jordan, T-Bone Walker, and Sam Cooke, but it's the endorsement from jazz chanteuse Dakota Staton that gives away the basic feeling of JaRon Eames' latest disc. With a vocal style that brings to mind both Al Jarreau and George Benson, Eames delivers his material in a polished "lounge" style with smooth jazz arrangements. Sounds Good To Me should please fans of the form.
PRA

JAZZPODIUM
Eine erstaunliche, aber faszinierende zweite CD hat JaRon Eames aus Baton Rouge vorgelegt: Er singt ,,den Blues". Wie ein Cham�leon- manch- mal h�rt er sich an wie Bobby McFerrin goes Nat ,,King" Cole, dann wie Jimmz Witherspoon oder gar Big Joe Turner. Oder er scattet losgelassen vor sich hin. Das ist ungemein clever gemacht und hat mehr als eine nostalgische Note. Auch seine Begleitmusiker k�nnen yeigen, was sie draufhaben: Saxophonist Michael Weisberger und Gitarrist Ethan Mann zum Beispiel schaffen es, alte Erinnerungen an die Einspielungen von Julian Dash und Jimmy Shirely wachyur�tteln, k�nnen aber im n�chsten Track, wie eine Ben-Webster-Formation klingen oder fr�lich vor sich hin bouncen, als sei hier und heute das Kansas City von Mr. Pendergast. Klar ist das Retro Jazz'n Blues. Gut ist es trotzdem.
Thomas W�rtche

 Suddenly Reviews

JAZZ REVIEW.com
Musicians: JaRon Eames (vocals), Amy Quint (piano), Billy Johnson (bass), Rudy Lawless (drums), Eathan Mann (guitar), Michael Weisberger (sax), Ron O�Swansky (synthesizer) Review: This disc is a good representation of balance of jazz, blues, ballads and snappy standards. There�s no lack of interpretation here and it never gets stale.

The determined "I�m Gonna Make It This Time," builds from start to finish and represents Eames personal and professional journey. The vocals and the calm accompaniment are no-nonsense. Generally, you can divide the upbeat tracks, "Saturday Night Fish Fry," "Cheek To Cheek," "Sweet Georgia Brown," and "All of Me."
With these, Eames vocals dance and one can sense the true enjoyment of the artist to do what he does. The musicians share that infectious joy throughout their spirited exchange. If you�re ready for fun, you�ve got it here and there�s no need to intellectualize it.

With the ballads ("I�m Gonna Make it This Time," "Suffering With the Blues," "Time After Time," "Kansas City Blues," and "Suddenly,"), he emphasizes the blues. However, I don�t sense a downtrodden mood. Instead, it�s a great nod to a long tradition of a great music style. Eames isn�t hard and raspy, but light and classy. This is a refreshing difference, almost like Al Jarreau�s interpretations of similar music. Ironically, there�s more triumph in his choice of titles, though "blues" figures into it. 

JAZZTIMES
Eames describes himself as "jazz and blues vocalist from New York city by way of New Orleans." His voice takes some getting used to and is occasionally mannered, but he has range and emotion. He handles "Cheek to Cheek" with rhythmic ease while :Suffering the Blues" becomes a cri de coeur. Other blues-drenched numbers are "Saturday Night Fish Fry," "Kansas City Blues" and "Sweet Georgia Brown," with Eames scatting on the latter. The musical backing is reliable throughout.
Marcela Breton

CADENCE
JaRon Eames has an unusual voice for jazz, a thick tenor of the sort most often heard in gospel and fifties rhythm and blues, in fact, he sounds a lot like the legendary R'n'B star Clyde McPhatter. Wisely he chooses to use his voice where it's most apt, mixing in jump blues and soul tunes with the usual standards on his CD. The opening soul piece "I'm Gonna Make it" is sung strongly with sunny confidence. Louis Jordn's "Saturday Night Fish Fry" jumps and Little Willie John's "Suffering With The Blues" is classic urban blues elegance akin to Lenny Welch's hit version of "Since I Fell For You". On the standards he's more restrained but still robust. Guitarist Ethan Mann spikes the latter with understated single line solos while Michael Weisberger's tenor bites down hard on the blues numbers. JaRon Eames' voice makes him an instantly recognizable new presence on the scene.
Jerome Wilson

LIVING BLUES
A native of Baton Rouge who has been living in Berlin and New York in recent years. JaRon Eames bills himself as a "jazz and blues vocalist." He sings in a clear, dramatic tenor and is backed by a small, jazz-oriented combo. Most of the songs are standards in the vein of All Of Me and Time After Time, but Louis Jordn's Saturday Night Fish Fry and Little Willie John's Suffering With The Blues are here too, as is a version of Kansas City - all of which are quite good
JDK