Bassist and bandleader Alexander Gershman (AKA “Sasha”) makes jazz both fun and accessible again. I’ve seen him numerous times in concert and his big bands always swing, his vocalists always bring it with style, and the original tunes are always a hoot. This latest album has him once again with some of LA’s finest, including Bob McChesney/tb, Brandon Fields/as-ts, Luis Conte/perc, Andy Langham/p sitting in as well as a rich string quartet. Lead vocalist Nikki Lorenzo is a cooing cutie, sitting at the saloon seat with Langham on “Written With The Blues” and reflective in a chanteuse-y “Memory In Black and White”. The band swings like Basie for guest crooner Matthew Morrison on the bold “Going To Extremes” and the brass is richly muted on a film noir’d “I Choose Happiness”. Some fun jive takes place with Lorenzo on the vaudevillian “Rendezvous” and the nightclubby “ A Kiss For A Kiss”. You get the feel that you’re taking in a show, without the hassle of a two drink minimum. Not a bad invitation to see them in concert-always a joy.