Molly Hammer died late December 2020, and I thought I had never heard of her when a saw a jazz singer friend post about her death. Them I realized later on that I had written about her, in this same blog, r: her previous lie album. (I described her as someone who reminded me of Baby Jane Dexter)
I am listening now to her last album, which I also realize was in my ‘New Arrivals’ playlist. This album is a tribute to Julie London, and she sings these songs with very spare backing, a la London. Hammer’s voice has a lot of personality, and at times the vocals seem overwhelming. But no mistake, personality counts. On ‘Guess Who I Saw Today,’ for example, you can really sense and understand the story she is narrating.
The rest of the album is pretty solid as well. I rad that she had been battling cancer the past decade or so, and you can tell in her singing how she knows life. I hope people discover her recordings, as they narrate a life fully lived.
Luha Thoughts 