Caili O’ Doherty: Bluer Than Blue

OUTSIDE IN MUSIC (RELEASED MARCH 7, 2025)

Like an archeologist unearthing artifacts from an ancient civilization, pianist Caili O’Doherty has discovered treasures from an earlier era of jazz. O’Doherty, who is on a mission to celebrate, preserve and expand the achievements of the unsung women of jazz, rediscovered the music of Lil Hardin-Armstrong on Bluer Than Blue, Celebrating Lil Hardin Armstrong.The second wife of Louis Armstrong, Hardin-Armstrong is usually credited with advancing Louis’ career and musical knowledge. As O’Doherty delved into her life, she quickly realized that this “first woman of jazz” also contributed some amazing compositions to the jazz repertoire, many of which were rarely recorded by folks other than Hardin-Armstrong and her contemporaries. However, rather than simply recreating period prices, O’Doherty has masterfully recrafted them for the quartet from her 2022 date Quarantine Dream — bassist Tamir Shmerling, drummer Cory Cox and saxophonist Nicole Glover — with the addition of vocalists Tahira Clayton and Michael Mayo. Bluer Than Blue has it all. Whether they are delivering lyrics with heartfelt meaning on tunes such as “Happy Today, Sad Tomorrow” or scatting with exuberant joy on tunes such as “Call It Love,” Mayo and Clayton breathe life into the vocal selections without unnecessary histrionics. Tunes such as ”Clip Joint” are a perfect example of how Glover adds an edge to these classic tunes from the past with her more modern approach to improvisation. O’Doherty ‘s soulful and bluesy style shines as an accompanist and soloist throughout the session. She shows her stride chops on one of Hardin-Armstrong’s most recognized tunes — “Struttin’ with Some Barbecue.” Shmerling and Cox are the perfect pair to drive the ensemble through everything from up-tempo swingers like “Two Deuces to slower pieces such as “Just A Thrill.” O’Doherty could have simply dusted off these rare finds and presented them as recreations, but she went one step further — invigorating them with modern sensibilities to keep the legacy of Lil Hardin Armstrong as vital in 2025 as it was in her heyday. Like me, you will certainly treasure these treasures!

BOTTOM LINE: You might expect a celebration of Lil Hardin Armstrong’s music to be filled with old-timey rhythms and musical cliches. Not so. On Bluer Than Blue, Celebrating Lil Hardin Armstrong, pianist and arranger Caili O’Doherty treats nine Hardin-Armstrong classics with a sense of reverence and modernism, truly making it a celebration of the past and present of jazz.