I get a fairly large number of jazz vocalist's CDs to review every month. I cannot cover them all, especially since vocalists are only a part of what I try to address. So some get reviewed, but not all.
The new Jenny Davis CD Inside You (CRD 09) made the cut for a couple of reason. The obvious one is that she is a singer of poise. She has a pleasant instrument and she phrases nicely. The second reason is that Inside You is basically a Great American Songbook standards set, but not totally and not typically so. You get some nice versions of "When Your Lover Has Gone," "Green Dolphin Street," and "Softly (As in A Morning Sunrise)" but you also get some lesser-known songs like "Into Your Life Some Rain Must Fall," Jobim's "No More Blues," and contemporary songwriter Rodgers Grant's "Morning Glory." Not exactly typical also is Bird's "Confirmation" with added lyrics that work well, the Beatles' "Blackbird," and a rather attractive Jenny Davis original "Inside You."
Another salient feature on this one is the guitar work of Chuck Easton, who is omnipresent throughout, sometimes as the only accompanist. He plays a very solid chordal line and makes for a very good foil for Ms. Davis' vocalisms. When not the sole instrumentalist, Chuck joins with bassist Ted Enderle. Louis Aissen assists with tenor obbligato on one cut.
It is a most enjoyable journey into the heart of ten songs. Nice work.
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