Stephanie Nakasian - Lullaby in Rhythm: A Tribute to June Christy (2002)

Stephanie Nakasian has long been a well-respected singer, but one who has not been given half the recognition that she deserves. However, this CD is quite definitive, a tribute to June Christy. Nakasian had been a major hit at a West Coast jazz convention/festival a few years earlier, singing songs associated with Christy and sometimes sounding remarkably close to her. The 17 selections on this CD include such June Christy classics as "Lullaby in Rhythm," "Gone for the Day," "Midnight Sun," "Lonely Woman," "I Want to Be Happy," and of course her trademark "Something Cool." Assisted by the Stan Getz-inspired tenor of Harry Allen, trombonist John Jensen, and either Hod O'Brien or Larry Eanet on piano, Stephanie Nakasian lets her own personality into the music while sounding eerily like Christy in spots. The arrangements are as inspired as the singing, making this set a classic of its kind.