… 'He's got that chemistry that melts me down and ruins me'…

Smouldering fire

Another extremely strong and well curated showing from Broadway-and-jazz focused US record label Club 44 after its tremendous Jane Monheit release Come What May back in 2021. Manhattan Transfer icon Janis Siegel is here with Man Tran long time pianist and musical director Yaron Gershovsky, who, among many career achievements, appeared on Wayne Shorter classic if a very misunderstood album at the time nevertheless, Atlantis, issued in 1985.

We go to Peggy Lee travelling back next after listening to the inspiring Colors of My Love. The know it/see it/can't quite forgo it coming together from 'That's My Style' sum up our thoughts on the Siegel/Gershovsky - album of the week on marlbank this week. Cy Coleman (1929-2004) themed - an inspiration so differently as much to new generation guitar stars like the Italian Eleonora Strino as singers like Siegel who seem to have lived the songs for evah.

A must for all of us who see jazz, ballads and Broadway as an eternal triangle and the gift that keeps on giving no matter what the passing trends are. We'd contend that to really want to know what jazz vocals are - and it's an area subject to a huge number of possibilities - no matter what style you follow you need to know about how Broadway and the Great American Songbook feed into the genre. And no better place on a new album to jump in than here. Gershovsky is almost Fred Hersch-like on 'That's My Style' and on other places on this masterful duo recording. Hear Siegel's vocalese after she sings the words on a later ''chorus'' solo: they are so saxophone-like, the vocal jumping out of its own world into another sphere.

Indeed Siegel worked with Fred Hersch on 1990s pop-and-jazz themed Slow Hot Wind. Listen especially to their beautiful rendition of 'The Shining Sea'

One of the best jazz vocals albums of the year to date - that is easy to type because it's pretty obvious in terms of impact and command. Norma Winstone fans will probably love the way Siegel sings 'With Every Breath I Take' so if you are one go there first. So many high points, then - Gershovsky's introduction to the stately treatment of 'Witchcraft' is yet another - what an intro. As an outro and without further ado, acquaint yourselves with The Colors of My Life post-haste - listen all through.