Betty Bryant: Nothin' Better To Do...

Betty Bryant's nothin' better to do.. radiates the natural confidence of a seasoned club date, where the music speaks for itself. A pianist, singer, and composer whose artistry has been shaped by decades of experience rather than trends (at the impressive age of 96), Bryant brings a storyteller's instinct and a deep respect for melody to this session. Producer Robert Kyle, himself a seasoned saxophonist and flautist, places her in a setting that is both intimate and expansive, featuring a group of top-tier Southern Californian musicians who know how to support a singer without overshadowing her.

The opener "You Are Not My First Love" sets the mood with a relaxed swing that feels both rueful and wry. Bryant performs the lyrics with a conversational ease reminiscent of great torch singers. Kyle's tenor saxophone and her straightforward piano improvisations weave around her vocals with tasteful restraint. There is no melodrama here, just a sense of lived-in knowingness. "I Can't See For Looking" shifts into a blues-soaked confession. Bryant leans into the grain of her voice, letting the lyric ache as she develops the theme with warm piano lines, while Kyle noodles around the edges on soprano sax. Throughout, bassist Richard Simon and drummer Kevin Winard give the number a slow-burning pulse.

The title-in-spirit track "I Haven't Got Anything Better To Do" gently rides a sly bossa nova groove, enhanced by Brazilian flavours from guitarist Kleber Jorge. Bryant sounds almost amused by her own heartache. Luanne Homzy on violin and viola, along with Ned Taro on cello, add a chamber-jazz glow, while Kyle offers a lovely solo that gives the track a lush quality.

The originals may serve as the album's backbone. Bryant's "He May Be Your Man" is an old blues mash-up in the style of the great blues singer Alberta Hunter and her cheeky interpretation of "My Man." Featuring solos from Simon, Kyle, and Bryant, whose vocal offers a sharp-eyed portrait of romantic rivalry with just enough edge to be cutting. "Mama Sue," written by Bryant and Kyle, is a toe-tapping New Orleans swinger, full of second line bounce and good-natured swagger leading to a heavenly rib joint. Kyle's original is "Awrite Then," a laid-back instrumental blues shuffle that gives the band room to stretch. With solos from Bryant, Kyle, trumpeter Tony Guerrero, Simon, and Winard, they push the tune forward without losing the musical thread.

The closer is a lesser-known tune by Burt Bacharach and Hal David called "Winter Warm." Bryant performs this love song, which has a seasonal shine, enhanced by Homzy's and Taro's strings and Kyle's lilting flute. The song feels timeless rather than nostalgic. Throughout, Bryant presents herself as a singer who trusts the song more than the spotlight.