Even if she isn't atop the latest poll of
jazz
vocalists,
Roseanna Vitro
is simply one of the best in the business. This adventurous concert at
the Kennedy Center
, with frequent collaborator
Kenny Werner
on piano, features bassist
Dean Johnson
and drummer
Tim Horner
providing a potent rhythm section. Her expressive take of
"Like Someone in Love"
swings like mad and features
Werner
's daredevil soloing.
Vitro
's humorous side comes across in
Betty Carter
's sassy and seductive
"Please Do Something."
The vocalist is at her very best interpreting a pair of songs by the late pianist
Bill Evans
, both of which have had lyrics added to them. The demanding
"Twelve Tone Tune"
is a challenge for any musician, but
and her trio devour its tricky changes. The haunting
"Epilogue"
was conceived by
Evans
as a solo piano miniature (and later recorded in concert as the conclusion of a suite arranged in memory of his father);
penned the thoughtful lyrics, while
's inventive accompaniment makes him the perfect partner for the singer. Nor is she hesitant to explore repertoire from the world of
pop
.
's soulful duet with
of
Randy Newman
's
"I Think It's Going to Rain Today"
is a gem, though
Donny Hathaway
's limp
"Tryin' Times"
doesn't quite make the grade.
has long been deserving of greater recognition among
listeners as a whole and this CD is a perfect place to start for the novice or an automatic purchase for those already familiar with her work. ~ Ken Dryden