If one listened to
Black Coffee
without knowing anything about
Susan May
, it would be perfectly logical to assume that the Chicago-based
jazz
vocalist was well into her twenties. But in fact,
May
was only 13 when this 48-minute CD was recorded in 2005. There was a time when it wasn't uncommon for 13-year-old girls to listen to
vocal jazz
or
traditional pop
-- a time when
was very much a part of popular culture. But that was back in the '30s and '40s; in the mid-2000s, girls in their early teens were, generally speaking, much more likely to be into
Kelly Clarkson
Avril Lavigne
than
Sarah Vaughan
,
Anita O'Day
Carmen McRae
, or
June Christy
. But
is an exception, and she is clearly good at what she does. The precocious singer has a lot going for her -- including a noteworthy vocal range, attractive phrasing, and a healthy sense of swing -- but there are some things that she needs to work on.
doesn't improvise enough, and she devotes way too much time to
Tin Pan Alley
warhorses that have long since been beaten to death.
"The Very Thought of You,"
"Come Rain or Come Shine,"
"Love Me or Leave Me,"
and
"With a Song in My Heart"
have been recorded so many times over the years that unless an artist is going to try something really different with them, it's best to look for gems that haven't been recorded by hundreds -- or even thousands -- of artists. But again,
is undeniably talented -- and this decent, if conventional, effort makes listeners want to keep a close eye on the Chicagoan and see how she develops as a vocalist. ~ Alex Henderson