Serbian vocalist Jelena Jovovic teams up her own compositions with her adding lyrics to covers by the likes of Wayne Shorter and Don Grolnick on this widely varied album. Her voice at times gives a mysterious and almost eerie effect, leading into a haunting take of Shorter’s “Witch Hunt” while giving a dramatic aria to the piece “Paladin.” The core team of Vasil Hadzimanov/p-key, Vladimir Kostadinovic-Dusan Novakov-dr and Milan Nikolic/b is mixed and matched with horns that at times get Memphis Stew STAXY on “The Countless Stars” while the team boogaloos to an assertive “Little Freddie Steps” that has Jovovic giving some wild lyric delivery along with the muscular horn of Strahinja Banovic.She shows soul chops on”Heartbeat,” while cozying up to the fire on the upbeat “Bubu’s Song.” Flexible, full of European drama and adventure.
On this album, vocalist Leonisa Ardizzone delivers a “live in studio” album with a team of Jess Jurkovic/p, Mark Wade/b and Justin Jay Hines/dr-perc. She’s got a strong and assured voice, bopping with enthusiasm on the hard hitting scatter “This I Dig Of You” while getting funky on the dark “Our Lips are Sealed.” She graciously undulates on Dave Brubeck’s clever “My One Bad Habit” and veers around Wade’s throbbing bass on the pulsating “Someday My Prince Will Come.” Some African percussion adds mystique to “Kid” while giving wonderment alongside Jurkovic on “Ischia.” Ardizzone and the band have a rich rapport all the way through as she racks them up and sets them down.