Jack Butler

On Jonathan Butler's N2K Encoded Music debut, Do You Love Me, he continues his jack-of-two-trades approach, balancing R&B-based vocal tunes with easy, acoustic guitar-based instrumentals. While it's a friendly enough listen, Butler here doesn't display a powerful enough mastery of either format. His guttural, heartfelt vocal style – reminiscent of Jon Secada – can make even the most Lionel Richie-esque lyric seem deeper than it is (even a new song with a title like "The Way You Look Tonight"), but few of the adult-oriented vocal tunes here are as memorable or hooky as his best-known hit, "Sarah Sarah." "Do You Love Me?," for instance, should be a deep, emotional moment, but comes off as a pleasant, easily dismissed conversation. Fortunately, "You Don't Belong to Me" has more lyrical bite, nicely underscored with a percussive guitar line underneath his angry tone. Butler should put more of that pointed energy into his play-it-safe instrumentals, which generally gallop along smoothly without building much steam. The best one can do with this sort of album is like Butler a lot.

Shreveport, LA native Laverne Butler came up in a musical family, and she's learned her lessons well. She sings jazz, blues and gospel in a manner quite reminiscent of Nancy Wilson, with a sleek, supple voice that oozes class. There are no gimmicky affectations or cutesy inflections, just straight soul. Backed by pianist/producer Bruce Barth and bassist John Webber – both first-class players – and drummer Klaus Suonsaari, Butler sings some of her favorite standards known worldwide. The CD starts with a string of tunes, including a swinging "This Bitter Earth," a ballad treatment of "Please Send Me Someone to Love," and a slow "Hit the Road Jack" – all employ background singers, sometimes using sweeping doo-wahs or call-and-response jiving. An up blues, "One for My Baby," (without the singers) lets Butler cut loose and show she can stand on her own.