Jane Fuller: You

Not one to copy, Fuller carries her singing and songwriting beyond established boundaries. Her original pieces, “Gonna Cause Trouble” and “Wolf in Sheep’s Clothes,” take contemporary aim at the jazz singing repertoire. The blues weighs heavily on her soul. Fuller, who lists Peggy Lee and Ernestine Anderson among her vocal influences, delivers her program with a suave texture that allows for ample freedom. Coy and cool, the singer interprets with homespun vitality.

Ray Charles’ “Hallelujah, I Love Her So,” altered here to “Him” for purposes of gender, carries with it a winding country & western landscape upon which pianist Rich Eames adds considerable foliage. Together, Fuller and her sidemen swing steadily. Martin Lund, Lee Thornburg and Dick Mitchell add considerable charm to her debut session with their spirited solo spots.

Keeping her cool on “Route 66,” Fuller reminds us how much fun it is to recall standards that gather around us like old friends. And what an old friend Route 66 remains, since her hometown lies at the western end of that storied trail. From Pasadena, California, she’s performed “out West” for over ten years. Her debut recording could be the start of something big for a unique artist who’s got her heart and soul in the vocal jazz arena and who stands to carry on the tradition for future generations.

Vist Jane Fuller on the web for an audio sample of “No Moon at All.”