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
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