Amy Banks: What they've said...

“… [Banks’] swinging original, “Ruined For the Rest,” is one of the best tracks showcasing her rich vocals, expressive delivery and ability to write alluring tunes. With her silky, mid-range voice and tidy phrasing, Banks shows considerable promise as a jazz stylist.”

"Though the material has been covered countless times before, a good voice can enliven it for another pass. Banks has such a voice. Definitely worth a spin.”

"ONE OF THE toughest parts of the job for jazz radio music directors is wading through the piles of CDs from would-be jazz singers, so it’s understandable that when an unknown comes along, they might be skeptical. The jazz debut of Amy Banks is definitely the exception. Combining some standards with new adaptations of more recent compositions, Banks brings fresh vitality to all of the material to this album, and perhaps just a hint of the theatrical, which is her background. Her touching, tender approach to Phoebe Snow’s “Poetry Man” is a delight, while Allen Farnham’s powerful, swinging arrangement of Michael McDonald’s “It Keeps You Runnin’” is a surprise - especially compared to the mundane drone of the “McDonaldized” Doobie Brothers. The album’s lone original, “Ruined for the Rest,” penned by Banks and pianist Steve Rudolph, Hoagy Carmichael’s “I Get Along Without You Very Well,” and “Devil May Care” are other standout tracks. Please don’t let this highly recommended CD slip through the cracks without a listen."

"[Banks's] clear, clarion contralto sails like a vocal juggernaut through a program of jazz standards and, as she describes them, "reworked classic pop songs from the 70s."

"Over the past several months I have been inundated with CD's by female vocalists featuring bland interpretations of classic jazz standards. I was close to being fed up with their lack of passion, until I heard your voice. I am so glad I listened."

"First rate CD -- from the swinging version of How High the Moon to the hauntingly beautiful Skylark."

"Amy Banks has a lovely voice and great backing, an album with heaps of appeal!"

"....dynamite set of jazz standards, one of the best consignments we've received in years. Hear Ms. Banks blaze effortlessly through 10 killer cuts. Amy Banks is sure to knock the socks off any and all jazz fans."

"... this gets a definite MOST HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for any/all who gotta' have "the spirit" in their jazz listening. Keep your ears tuned to this lady..."
she'll be around for a long time to come!

"[Amy's] transparent, fluid soprano voice is yet filled with steamy, sultry innuendo that always gets the best of life’s vicissitudes."

"[Amy] has a beautiful voice and the subtle, effective range always makes the material
more involving than it would be otherwise. That’s talent."

"Banks steps out as co-writer, with pianist Steve Rudolph, of “Ruined for the Rest.” It’s a cute, sophisticated tune and lyric that makes one hope for more original songs in the future. But it is in the closing two tracks, “Lover Man” and Hoagy Carmichael’s “Skylark” that she reveals herself to be a singer blossoming into maturity right in front of us. “Lover Man” is interpreted in a way that both honors the interpretations of other famous singers who have sung them and creates its own notch in the canon."

"Along with her backup band, they bring together the right formula for a successful recording. I especially enjoyed her rendition of the Doobie Brothers hit, “It Keeps You Runnin’” with a sound right out of Miles Davis’ classic “All Blues”. I love this CD."

"Banks has a rich-toned soprano voice with some Nancy Wilson shadings as she covers a couple of pop gems, some jazz standards, and one fine original tune. The lady gets inside a lyric. Michael McDonald's “It Keeps You Runnin',” arranged beautifully, features a cushioned bass bounce and piano sparkle behind her fluid vocal delivery. When Banks, singing about heartache, says “Oh, I know how you feel, yeah, you know I been there,” you believe her.
Phoebe Snow's “Poetry Man” is given a similarly personal treatment. The tale of a sultry vamp's school girl-like crush (Banks does sultry vamp very well) that's magic in the hands and vocal cords of Banks and Company. I loved the original, but I'd missed the O. Henry twist at the end. Banks makes it very clear when she sings to the object of her infatuation: “Home's that place you go, to see your wife.” Throw in a yearning soprano sax solo (Tim Warfield) and you've got a true hit, played over and over again on the jukebox."

"Sheer joy. That's what you get with Amy Banks. A seasoned performer, Banks brought her skilled, smooth vocals to southcental PA several years ago....and we're glad she did."

"...[Amy's] lush voice gleams in its natural bop surroundings, beguiling with the characteristic dips and bends and scats of the First Ladies of jazz."

"....[Amy's] clearly enunciated mezzo voice easily handles the bop anthems and mid-tempo striders as comfortably as she lingers over ballad lyrics. Her pleasantly light gospel style, which conjures the perfect storm of the heart in its spiritual realm, transfers easily to the honeyed romantic intentions of songs like 'Never Let Me Go' and 'Lover Man'...."

"...Amy Banks, whose voice and phrasing can turn any song into a gem."