Where has this lady been? I think she got married, and has finally gotten out of her honeymoon suite. Last time I heard her was at The Vic, promoting her then just released Return To You, which charmed my socks off. Even my wife, who hates jazz with a holy passion, loved the way she sang in concert, commenting, “She sings like she means it, not like those other ones you take me to that go all over the place.” Well, you know how wives can be…
Anyway, I digress. This release is a dedication of sorts to Ms. Gazarek’s kindred spirit, Blossom Dearie. They both have the same girl next door bounce to their delivery, but in all actuality, Gazarek has a more believable delivery. She sounds sitting across the table vulnerable and sincere on tunes like “The Luckiest” and “Lucky To Be Me.” Meanwhile her delivery of the timeless ditty “Tea For Two” is as hot under the collar romantic as it could possibly get, the complete opposite of say, an Anita O’Day version. Here, she wraps her hands on your face, and pauses at just the right time before she sighs, “dear.” Other times, while backed with her long time team of Josh Nelson/p, Hamlton Price/b and Zach Harmon/dr (who are usually jamming somewhere in LA as a hot little trio), along with guest Larry Goldings/org, she saunters across the wood floor in her slippers on slinky tunes like “Some of These Days,” or bops like a hummingbird with John Pizzarelli on the swinging title track. This lady is a pip, and needs to get back into the touring scene! She’s in LA Aug 18-19 at Vitello’s. Check this one out!
