On the surface, this seems to be just
another excellent vocal jazz recording by a popular San Francisco-based
singer whose best-known longtime gig is the London club Ronnie Scott's.
Yet the exotica of Ryan and the music she chooses is so much a part of
the story, from her sultry Italian on "Estate" to her crafty Portuguese
on Jobim's joyful samba "Anos Dourados." Her bio makes multiple mentions
of her multiethnic background -- Mexican, Irish, and French -- perhaps
to justify her ability to tackle the foreign tunes. Yet at heart, she's
an honest to God jazz singer in the Sarah Vaughan/Betty Carter mode who
seems coziest on lush ballads like the title track and fun swingers like
"A Sleepin' Bee" and Ellington's "Jump for Joy," which starts as a
sparse, stylish duet with voice and John Wiitala's bass before
incorporating Allen Smith's playful muted trumpet. Each song has a
credited arranger, an obvious ode to the care with which Ryan chose and
interpreted this varied material. Although her name is still not on the
lips of mainstream jazz fans, Ryan's association here with legends like
Toots Thielemans (who adds harmonica romance to tunes like "Estate") and
Ernie Watts (whose inimitable tenor infuses three tunes), along with
her diverse talents, will help expose her to a well-deserved wider
audience. Jonathan Widran
Arthur Freed / Harry Warren
2 A Sleepin' Bee 3:46
Harold Arlen / Truman Capote
3 Estate (Summer) 6:34
Bruno Brighetti / Bruno Martino
4 East of the Sun 5:50
Brooks Bowman
5 Jump for Joy 4:00
Duke Ellington / Sid Kuller / Paul Francis Webster
6 Make It Last 5:45
7 Anos Dourados 3:59
Chico Buarque / Antônio Carlos Jobim
8 Maybe September 5:15
Ray Evans / Percy Faith / Jay Livingston
9 When I Grow Too Old to Dream 3:39
Sigmund Romberg
10 Moon and Sand 5:34
Morty Palitz / Alec Wilder
11 Come Back to Me/Lover Come Back to Me 4:13
Burton Lane / Alan Jay Lerner / Sigmund Romberg
12 Sari (Trieste) 6:48
Amina Figarova / Denise Jannah
13 Velas Içadus (Sails) 4:49
14 Seasons of the Heart 4:33
Jackie Ryan / Leonard Thompson
