Jeri Brown - Fresh Start (1996)

Jeri Brown is a talented singer with an original scatting style and a wide range. The problem with this particular record is that the material (half of which was co-written by Brown herself) is often not worthy of her. "Come, Come And Play With Me" is an off-the-mark attempt to play the role of a sex symbol, the irony in Tadd Dameron's obscure "You're A Joy" is greatly lessened by the repetition and most of the other selections are forgettable. Brown fares best on the two most familiar tunes (Artie Shaw's "Moonray" and a wordless "Bohemia After Dark") while a few of the funkier pieces (with Cyrus Chestnut on electric keyboards) are rather dull. Some listeners may enjoy this set but in general I recommend checking out Jeri Brown's earlier releases first.