Olivia Foschi: Perennial Dreamer

Vocalist Olivia Foschi joins a group of young singers intent on changing the jazz vocals landscape by framing standards in anything other than standard ways. Tierney Sutton is the leader of this new direction, followed by Gretchen Parlato, Jacqui Sutton, Laurie Antonioli and Renee Yoxon and Mark Ferguson. Using the standard acoustic jazz ensembles, these singers use thoughtful arrangements and unique instrumentation to color the time-tested songbook. Foschi brings her airy soprano and her rich vision to such a collection of standards and originals on Perennial Dreamer.

Foschi opens the disc with the standard "Here's That Rainy Day" establishing a light and swinging environment deepened by Gregoire Maret's lyrical harmonica imparting a pastoral hue to the piece. The rhythm-section arrangement is breezy without being free, intricately crocheted of finely-crafted note choice and harmonic augmentation. The song arrangement demonstrates the importance of Stevie Wonder to, not only pop music, but jazz and adult contemporary also, where he opened the harmonic palette, particularly using electric keyboards. Foschi incorporates these elements with a facile intelligence complementing her whimsical voice to great effect.