Over the course of many years we’re blessed with dozens of exceptional singers who have thrilled us or touched our hearts with their multi-faceted gifts. Given all of that, only a few have possessed the rare quality of putting over the meaning of a lyric. Those who come to mind include Billie Holiday, Lee Wiley, Irene Kral, Judy Garland, and Meredith d’Ambrosio. The same could be said for male singers Tony Bennett, Tony DeSare, Mark Murphy, and some guy named Sinatra. On this occasion, Petra van Nuis is accompanied beautifully and intimately by her guitarist husband Andy Brown on thirteen songs associated with yet another sensuous singer, Julie London. So we are treated to such evergreens as “It Never Entered My Mind”, “Here’s That Rainy Day”, “Blues In The Night”, and of course Julie’s mega-hit, “Cry Me A River”. Other highlights include “Something Cool” (remember June Christie’s classic on that one?), and my fave on the date, “The Meaning Of The Blues”. Petra and Andy simply “get it”. Feeling is what can’t be taught. But in every note we hear from Petra van Nuis, that elusive quality simply defines her.
String Damper Records; 2022; 58:42
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