The enchanting archival live album, , finds legendary jazz vocalist in concert at the famed Los Angeles club Zardi's in February of 1956. No random session, the Zardi's show was captured in the wake of producer founding his then-newly minted label for the sole purpose of recording . While the singer had long been under 's management, in his estimation she had languished at , suffering under the label's choice of average songs and poor promotion. In moving to , sought to showcase her virtuosic talent on record much in the same way that he had with the vibrant concerts since the mid-'40s. The move worked, and historically, the years marked 's most fertile period, when she transformed from a popular vocalist into a creatively influential and commercially successful jazz icon. While all of her talent is on display here, the charm of the album is just how intimate, low-key, and seemingly off-the-cuff everything sounds. Backing with urbane sensitivity is pianist , bassist , and drummer . Interestingly, barring the singer's own swaggering vocal improvs, there isn't any soloing from her band. Clearly, wanted the spotlight to remain firmly centered on his star performer. The result is a breezy cabaret vibe with fielding requests from the audibly enthusiastic audience. Included are many of her most well-known songbook standards at that point, including such standouts as "Tenderly," "How High the Moon," and "I Can't Give You Anything But Love." She even offers up an exuberantly swinging reading of her signature 1938 original hit "A-Tisket, A-Tasket," dedicating the song to her co-writer , who was in attendance that night. No doubt there may have been other celebrities at the club that night ( was a famous -champion during the '50s). Ultimately, it's just those kinds of personal touches, matched with 's dazzling vocal skills, that make such a magical experience. ~ Matt Collar