Operatic-voiced Janinah Burnett delivers a wide range of material from Bizet to Ellington on this album supported by a jazzy team of Christian Sands/p, Sullivan Fortner/p, Keith Brown/p, Terreon Gully/dr, Luques Curtis/b, Ben Williams/b and Casey Benjamin/dr. Her strong voice and vocal range fills the hall as she cleverly mixes “Habanera” with a slinky read of “What Is This Thing Called Love” while going straing out for the stage on “Creole Girl” and Tosca’s “E Zucevan Le Stelle”, softly supported by Sands on piano. She delves into Ellingtonia, coming across like a latter day Joya Sherrill on an angelic duet with Brown on “TGTT” , and then a trio read of “My Love” from the Duke’s sacred concerts, while she is at her most jazzy on a rich and passionate read of “In A Sentimental Mood”. Gully gets Burnett into a gospel mood as she speaks and chants through “Keep Your Eyes On The Prize’ and with a chorus gives a riveting read of “Strange Fruit” before closing out the album with a 78 rpm sounding take of “Honeysuckle Rose”. Wondrous sonatas with swing.
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