Jessica Molaskey - A Good Day (2024) Hi Res

On the heels of her superb Depression-themed Pentimento comes Jessica Molaskey's A Good Day, and it's a fairly different though also superb effort. This time Molaskey pays tribute to songstress Peggy Lee and the cool jazz she wrote and recorded with her husband, guitarist Dave Balfour in the '50s, including the sunny title tune. Molaskey also mixes in originals she wrote with her own husband-guitarist, John Pizzarelli, that stand so comfortably alongside the "period" songs that you probably won't even notice unless you read the credits. (OK, "The Girl with His Smile and My Eyes" stands out a bit, but it's so beautifully performed by Molaskey and pianist Ray Kennedy that we won't complain.) Again deserving of praise is the band, with John Pizzarelli joined by father Bucky, bassist brother Martin, and clarinetists Ken Peplowski and Andy Fusco, among others. A Good Day may be just a hair less charming than Pentimento, but that's no reason to miss it.