Singin' & Swingin' in Bloomington, MN

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,
is a pleasant, if conventional, release that has its moments. ~ Alex Henderson