Nancy Kelly - Be Cool (2025)

Rekindling the vibes of her early 1980s, 5-year run at Philly's famed Jewell's Jazz Club, vocalist Nancy Kelly gathers her musical family - saxophonist Jerry Weldon, guitarist Dave Stryker, drummer Carmen Intorre Jr, and the young organ phenom, William Gorman - for a deeply soulful set of swinging standards, bop, and pop tunes. The legendary saxophonist Houston Person guests on 2 tracks, and NYC guitarist Charlie Sigler and saxophonist Joe Carello join Kelly on Joni Mitchell's "Be Cool." Dynamic and full of life, from the swinging "Devil May Care," through broad, emotional ballads such as "Now at Last" and "Let it Be Me," to the churning, barroom swing of "Shakin' Out My Blues," Nancy Kelly displays a divine sense of pacing, mood, emotion and musical savvy throughout this powerful set. "Kelly has paid her dues in jazz and as a result developed into one of the major forces in this idiom, perhaps the best of them all". John Gilbert, EjazzNews."A world-class jazz singer in the feisty, swinging tradition of Anita O'Day - superb phrasing, excellent time, great intonation and tons of chops, with a load of charisma to boot. - Bill Milkowski, JazzTimes.

Tracklist:
1 Devil May Care
2 Besame Mucho
3 Now at Last
4 Can't Take My Eyes Off You
5 As Time Goes By
6 Be Cool
7 Let It Be Me
8 Be Bop Lives (Boplicity)
9 What a Difference a Day Makes
10 You Don't Know Me
11 Shakin' Out My Blues