Dena DeRose, Two For the Road, HighNote

In the summertime the sun will shine
In winter, we’ll drink summer wine

Make this a rendezvous. The DeRose take on Henry Mancini-Leslie Bricusse classic ‘Two for the Road’ is from Mellow Tones upcoming from the singer-pianist with Ed Neumeister on trombone on a few tracks and long time playing pals aply tiptoeing bassist Martin Wind & drummer Matt Wilson who romps along where appropriate after DeRose opens up the thing to swing.

We share below a few of our favourite versions of the song. Firstly, going back to the beginning. And the 60s film.

Secondly, many years later Charlie Haden and Pat Metheny’s duo instrumental from the beautiful Beyond the Missouri Sky (Short Stories) 1997 classic.

And then yet another winning instrumental version this time by the master Fred Hersch from Everybody’s Song But My Own (2011) with Hébert and McPherson.

As for vocals versions and most relevant of all given the context we go to Chicago singer – a doyenne of the Green Mill – Patricia Barber’s on Split (1989).

Love is wiser than wisdom

Umberto Eco, The Name of the Rose

dena deRose two for the road – track of the week

There’s no medieval mystery about why the DeRose works in the wake of these. It’s not cheesy. But it is so positive. There’s a sincere embrace of the lyrics. Sentimentality is negotiated.

Not as dark as Patricia Barber’s approach (but worth mentioning as DeRose isn’t that far away) and God only knows the Rose piano playing compares extremely well with the great Welsh jazz singer Ian Shaw‘s style when he accompanies his own vocals.

The grandiose cadential take-it-higher piano line flourishes of a coda in the rendition are like a proscenium arch to wrap the curtains within. Monks there are none anywhere here, either of the Thelonious or Umberto Eco persuasion incidentally. But hey let’s echo that cited emotion. Love is wiser than wisdom.

Born in Binghamton, New York in 1966, DeRose began in the 1990s under her own steam on Introducing Dena DeRose.

Few can match the lyric writing of Leslie Bricusse (1931-2021) who wrote ‘Feeling Good’ and ‘Pure Imagination’ with Anthony Newley.

There’s such perfect simplicity and yet meaningfulness in this song that Dena draws out so well. About companionship, love, enjoying life’s good things and the long game however impossibly optimistic the illusion may be, no one rains on anyone’s parade.