Although the material that Lisa Bell selected for her debut recording consists of some of the most familiar pieces in the jazz songbook, her approach to the songs not only showcases her considerable vocal talent, but frames some of the material in settings that are more interesting than you might imagine from a simple scan of the track list. A good example is the opening track, an Afro-Cuban arrangement of Gershwin’s “Summertime.” Until hearing it, I would have been hard pressed to find a good reason for yet another version of the tune, but Bell provides the reason both in her performance and approach.
