Sarah McKenzie; Without You

Nine of the fourteen songs on this recording were composed by Antonio Carlos Jobim! That alone would catch my eye and pique my curiosity. Singer Sarah McKenzie interprets these Jobim gems and other similarly flavored choices with sincere straight forward dignity and beauty. She is accompanied by a small group featuring gentle, bossa-like contributions from piano, guitar, and reeds. The arrangements are never showy, but rather always tasteful and appropriate. To name a few of the AC Jobim tunes, how about “Quiet Nights”, “Wave”, “Dindi”, “Once I Loved”, and of course “The Girl From Ipanema”. All of these and more add up to a lovely rendering of unforgettable combinations of melody and lyrics.

Normandy Lane Music; 2023; appx. 48 min.