Susannah Mccorkle

Noted for the beauty of her voice and ability to freshen up the most tired lyric, Susannah McCorkle left behind an impressive and large body of work at the time of her death in 2001. Ballad Essentials concentrates onMcCorkle's softer side, collecting a dozen pieces recorded for Concord between 1983 and 2000. A remarkable cadre including Ken Peplowski, Emily Remler, and Bucky Pizzarelli join her on a variety of standards by Cole Porter, Rodgers & Hart, and the Gershwin brothers.

Singer, songwriter, and pianist Neil Sedaka enjoyed two distinct periods of commercial success in two slightly different styles of pop music: first, as a teen pop star in the late '50s and early '60s, then as a singer of more mature pop/rock in the '70s. In both phases, Sedaka, a classically trained pianist, composed the music for his hits, which he sang in a boyish tenor. And throughout, even when his performing career was at a low ebb, he served as a songwriter for other artists, resulting in a string of hits year in and year out, whether recorded by him or someone else. For himself, he wrote eight U.S. Top Ten pop hits, including the chart-toppers "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do," "Laughter in the Rain," and "Bad Blood." The most successful cover of one of his compositions was Captain & Tennille's recording of "Love Will Keep Us Together," another number one.

A versatile singer with a warm voice and a quietly swinging style, Connie Evingson explores the usually instrumental Gypsy jazz style during this highly enjoyable project. On various selections she is joined by either Pearl Django, the Clearwater Hot Club, or the Parisota Hot Club, quartets that are sometimes augmented by accordion, vibes, drums, and/or percussion. She performs swing standards, Susannah McCorkle's lyrics to Django Reinhardt's "Nuages," and her own words to "Django's Premonition" (originally known as "Anouman"). The strong repertoire, the instrumental colors, and Evingson's voice are three reasons that Gypsy in My Soul is highly recommended.

Singer, songwriter, and pianist Neil Sedaka enjoyed two distinct periods of commercial success in two slightly different styles of pop music: first, as a teen pop star in the late '50s and early '60s, then as a singer of more mature pop/rock in the '70s. In both phases, Sedaka, a classically trained pianist, composed the music for his hits, which he sang in a boyish tenor.

Nancy Kelly has often found herself compared to Dianne Schuur, and the comparison rings true on Singin' and Swingin', a highly arranged CD that has as much to do with pop as it does with jazz. The singer (who has a charming quality to her voice) isn't a hardcore, true-blue improviser, but she does provide some decent scat singing on occasion. Kelly gets into a jazz groove on Duke Pearson's "Jeanine" and Cole Porter's "It's Alright With Me," while her take on Fats Waller's "The Joint Is Jumpin'" isn't unlike the sort of cabaret-influenced jazz Susannah McCorkle would do. But on material ranging from the standard "Young and Foolish" to Chaka Khan's "Through the Fire" and the Captain and Tennille's "Come In From the Rain," you're hearing what is essentially jazzy pop. Although not fantastic and not very challenging, Singin' and Swingin' is a pleasant, if conventional, release that has its moments.