Karrin Allyson - Footprints (2006)

On this CD, vocalist Karrin Allyson generously shares the spotlight with a trio of guests, one of whom comes in from an unexpected angle. Indeed, Chris Caswell doesn’t sing or play an instrument here: What he's done is set lyrics to some classic jazz instrumentals by the likes of John Coltrane, Nat "Cannonball" Adderley and Wayne Shorter. (A few of these tracks have been renamed--"a detail that has to do with royalties," as the liner notes explain.) The other two guests are Jon Hendricks (whose little whistled solo on "Strollin'" is rather cute) and the Pacific Northwest–based scat expert Nancy King. King shows up on 6 of the 13 tracks and the manner in which her and Allyson's voices-—both equally burnished and agile--dialogue, particularly on "Life Is a Groove (Jordu)" is unusually lovely. Add to the mix a tight core group comprised of Bruce Barth (piano), Peter Washington (bass), and Todd Strait (drums), and you've got yourself an excellent jazz album. --Elisabeth Vincentelli