Leslie Lewis - Midnight Sun (2011)

The lesser-known songs on Midnight Sun Burt Bacharach / Hal David's "A House Is Not a Home," Paul and Linda McCartney's "My Love" are explicit highlights, but by no means the only ones, as Lewis fares equally well at a faster clip, as on "Lover Come Back to Me," "It's All Right with Me," "I Believe in You" and "Love Me or Leave Me" (which includes one of the most bizarre lyrics ever written: "I'd rather be lonely than happy with somebody else." Huh?) Hagen, who doubles as arranger, trebles (offstage) as Lewis' husband. Along with bassist Domenic Genova and drummer Jerry Kalaf, he does his best to keep her in an upbeat frame of mind, as do Foster, Manning and Sellers. When Lewis sings Frank Loesser's "I Believe in You," she may as well be applauding her supporting cast. A pair of first-rate albums by a vocalist who whose singular talents should be more widely heard and appreciated. ~ Jack Bowers

Personnel: Leslie Lewis: vocals; Gerard Hagen: piano; Domenic Genova: bass; Jerry Kalaf: drums, percussion; Chuck Manning: tenor sax; Joey Sellers: trombone.