The Great American Songbook gets dusted off by a couple of ladies.
Masumi Ormandy teams up with a core trio of Lee Tomboulian/p, Dean Johnson/b and Tim Horner for a friendly visit of standards. She has a dash of later day Lena Horne as she brings in trumpeter Freddie Hendrix for a good natured “On The Sunny Side Of The Street” and reflective “Autumn Leaves” while guitarist Paul Meyers adds a dash of mood on a sentimental “I’ll Be Seeing You.” Houston Person’s warm tenor simmers on “Misty “ and “Summertime,” making the entire album a nostalgic affair.
Kristen Lee Sergeant uses the same trio format with David Budway/p, Chris Bderger/b and Vince Ector/dr but gets a bit more adventurous for her collection of standards. She’s got a clear and flexible voice, and flows with Budway’s ripples on “Everyone Wants to Rule the World.” She gets clever as she saunters through a hip read of the famous Police song “Every Breath You Take” and gets luscious with Berger and Ector on an enticing “Old Devil Moon.” With bowed bass accompaniment, her mood creation of her own “I Melt With You” is a show stopper; this lady is a vamp-and I like it!