Here’s a lady I’ve never heard of that knows how to deliver a tune. Kim Nazarian mixes and matches with some heavy hitters including “Mark Soskin-Mark Shilansky/p, Leo traversa-Dwayne Dolphin/b Roger Humphries-Jamey Haddad/dr and guests John Pizzarelli, Gary Burton, Sean Jones and Paquito D’Rivera for a swinging session.
Her voice is clear and cheerful on bouncy standards such as “Robbin’s Nest?Boneology” and the peppy “Road to Kursk” with Sean Jones and sounds wide eyed with fascination with percussion on Stevie Wonder’s “If It’s Magic.” Her teaming with Pizzarelli on “Gotta Be This or That” is a plum, while Ivan Lins’ pastoral “Some Morning” includes Gary Burton’s vibes along with some rich background voices. Like most confident vocalists, she’s best when the support is minimal, and her duet with pianist Alon Yavnai on “Still Life” is a gorgeous silhouette. Nice outing!