No, this is not a collection of Verdi arias by sopranos; rather the hip chick trio of Jackie Warren/p, Amy Shook/b and Sherrie Maricle/dr swing with some standards as well as some hip ringers on this highly enjoyable session.
You’ve just got to admire the moxie of a team that takes on pieces such as the 60s groovy “The Beat Goes On,” the mellow anthem “Sunshine On My Shoulders” and the homespun “Tennessee Waltz,” but they do, and they do it well. The Sonny and Cher hit has Maricle shuffling along and Shook’s fingers doing the walking, while the John Denver tune has glittering fingers from Warren and rich bowing by Shook and “Waltz” is a flowing ripple of dreams.
The team is sleek on the swinging read of “Beautiful Love,” suave and sensuous on Tom Jobim’s “Favla” and moonlit pensive during “In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning.” They never clutter each other up, and mix the solos well with the ensemble passages. Nothing high maintenance about these three divas.