An intimate duo showcase for the artistry of acclaimed vocalist Sherri Roberts and brilliant pianist Bliss Rodriguez.

Every recording by San Francisco vocalist Sherri Roberts shares two defining characteristics, an intuitive mind-meld with a master instrumentalist, and a smartly curated array of undeservedly neglected songs. Her new CD Lovely Days, featuring her pillowy, pleasing unaffected vocals, highlights both aspects of her artistry. A duo session for Pacific Coast Jazz, and her fourth recording as a leader, it's an intimate, emotionally incisive celebration of the American Songbook's infrequently turned backpages showcasing the brilliant but little-documented Bay Area pianist Bliss Rodriguez.

The album opens with a pair of Irving Berlin songs that lend the album its title, an ingenious medley linking the Maestro's overlooked 1950 gem 'It's a Lovely Day Today' with 'Isn't This a Lovely Day,' one of several Berlin standards introduced in the classic 1935 Astaire/Rogers vehicle Top Hat.

The disc's other medley exemplifies Roberts's gift for generating emotional intensity with a minimum of fuss. She and Rodriguez turn 'I Have Dreamed' into a slow-burning bossa; the insinuating groove flows from another The King and I classic, 'We Kiss in a Shadow.'

Roberts includes a ravishing version of Dori Caymmi's 'Like a Lover,' and plucks a little-known jewel from the Dave Frishberg treasure chest in 'Our Love Rolls On.' She finds several other unexpected gems, like the gorgeous ballad 'Soon It's Gonna Rain,' from the Off-Broadway warhorse The Fantasticks, and the lilting jazz waltz 'I'm All Smiles,' a tune from the 1956 Broadway flop The Yearling.

A leading torchbearer for the less-is-more school of jazz singing, Roberts offers relaxed, swinging interpretations of 'Nice and Easy' and 'Come Dance With Me' as an homage to the inimitable Shirley Horn.

Throughout the session, R&R's sympatico connection turns every song into an enticing caper. Even on an anguished version of the ballad 'What'll I Do,' they can't suppress the evident pleasure they take in each other's company.

Additional Details

Label: Pacific Coast Jazz

Genre: Jazz

Run Time: 61:54 mins

Region: 0

Release Date: 01/29/13

UPC: 829166710024