Although she shows her age in spots,
Sheila Jordan
in 2002 was still a very creative
jazz
singer. She has always made the most of her voice, taking chances while remaining a little tied to the
bebop
tradition. She reunites with her old friend pianist
Steve Kuhn
, welcomes trumpeter
Tom Harrell
to four of the 13 selections, and explores such songs as a wistful
"Autumn in New York,"
"On a Slow Boat to China,"
a witty version of
"Hello Young Lovers,"
"If I Should Love You,"
and some lesser-known material. Her scatting remains quite inventive and sometimes her wordless vocals sound like an American Indian
folk
song. Although not quite as essential as her work of a decade earlier, this is a worthwhile effort full of subtle surprises and
's charm. ~ Scott Yanow