🎙️ ALBUM REVIEW: INGRAM WASHINGTON — WHAT A DIFFERENCE A DAY MAKES 🎙️
Some voices impress you immediately. Others invite you to slow down, listen deeply and remain in their company. Ingram Washington belongs firmly in the second category.
Released originally in 2004 and reissued by STS Digital in 2016 as a deluxe 14-track Gold CD, What A Difference A Day Makes is a beautifully judged journey through the Great American Songbook. It combines familiar standards, intimate arrangements and Washington’s unmistakably rich, dark baritone.
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His voice carries the warmth of Nat King Cole, the smooth authority of Billy Eckstine and the late-night intimacy associated with Arthur Prysock—yet his interpretations never feel like simple imitation. Washington phrases each lyric patiently, allowing the meaning of every song to emerge naturally.
The title track opens the album with elegance, but the emotional centre extends much further. My Funny Valentine is tender and unhurried, Autumn Leaves carries a beautiful sense of reflection, and Unforgettable feels warm rather than overly sentimental. His interpretation of Always On My Mind is another highlight, transforming a familiar song into something personal and quietly affecting.
The international ensemble supports him with restraint and musical intelligence:
🎹 Cajan Witmer — piano
🎻 Peter Bjørnild — bass
🥁 Marcel van Engelen — drums
🎷 Olaf Hoeks — tenor saxophone
🎺 Mike Booth — trumpet and flugelhorn
🎵 Hermine Deurloo — harmonica
🎻 Arjen de Graaf — violin
Recorded at Byton Studios in Loosdrecht, Holland, the album was mixed by Frans de Rond and Peter Bjørnild. The 2016 Gold CD edition was treated with STS Digital’s MW Coding Process, giving the recording an invitingly spacious and polished presentation.
From an audiophile perspective, this is not a recording designed to overwhelm the listener with exaggerated effects. Its strength lies in natural instrumental colour, vocal presence and atmosphere. Washington’s voice is positioned with convincing weight and body, while the musicians are given enough space to breathe around him.
Gold CD track selection:
1. What A Difference A Day Makes
2. But Not For Me
3. Come Rain Or Come Shine
4. My Funny Valentine
5. Smile
6. Hey There
7. I Thought About You
8. Unforgettable
9. Autumn Leaves
10. Laughing At Life
11. Always On My Mind
12. Somebody Loves Me
13. Our Love Is Here to Stay
14. What A Wonderful World
⭐ Music: 9/10
⭐ Vocal performance: 9.5/10
⭐ Recording quality: 9/10
⭐ Audiophile enjoyment: 9.5/10
Final verdict: A sophisticated, intimate and highly enjoyable vocal-jazz album. It is especially recommended for listeners who appreciate deep male vocals, romantic standards and recordings that reward late-night listening on a revealing hi-fi system.
💬 Now it’s your turn: Which song would you play first—My Funny Valentine, Autumn Leaves, Always On My Mind or What A Wonderful World?
Have you heard Ingram Washington on Gold CD, vinyl or master reel tape? Tell us which format you believe gives his voice the greatest presence and realism.
🎶 Music For Life | Audiophile Quality
🌐 www.thesoundoftape.com
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