Jodi Stevens: Girl Talk

Pull together a play list of well-established standards, sung by one of the top jazz cocktail performers from the Broadway circuit and backed by some of jazz's most imaginative and talented jazz masters from the Great White Way; add witty, clever and romantic arrangements; and the result is a CD that will catch and keep most listeners' attention. As added fillips, tack on inspirational sensations engendered by the 2002 Richard Rodgers Centennial, and the outcome is a CD that - while not earth shaking - will get plenty of attention from those who appreciate the joys of the jazz/pop genre well done. The enhanced CD takes advantage of modern audio technology with considerable multimedia content, including full-length video, "The Making of Girl Talk" (shot entirely in the studio), a slide show of photographs, a Flash movie, and a sampler jukebox from the label. These features make this a full fledged technological side show. With great sound coming from the likes of Ted Rosenthal, Lew Soloff and Jay Leonhart, this album lifts into the highly delightful category. As icing on the cake, Soloff's trumpet helps to bring off the whole affair with those patented high notes...especially on such cuts as "Girl Talk". The ensemble joins Jodi for a saucy, sassy, nasal rendition of Peggy Lee's (like it or not) "I'm a Woman". Soloff also does the Rosemary Clooney/Cootie Williams tune "Come on a My House" (talk about high notes!), which has that dizzy atmosphere excitement to it.

This album is another example of what's hitting street these days, fifty minutes of standards repackaged and rearranged, giving a brighter burnish to these great hits. Recommended. Visit Jodie and co-workers at www.sonsofsound.com .