Sherri Roberts - Dreamsville (1998)

Sherri Roberts emerged in the late 1990s as one of the most potentially significant of the more straight-ahead jazz singers. Other than "Middle of the Night" (a song from a 1959 film that Nina Simone later recorded), the selections on this CD, her second, are all standards, but they are generally underplayed tunes. Roberts proves to be expert at picking out superior numbers; her continually enjoyable date includes such gems as "Zoot Walks In," Gigi Gryce's "Social Call," "How Little We Know," Bob Dorough's "I've Got Just About Everything," and the definitive rendition of Henry Mancini's "Dreamsville." Although Roberts is a fine scat singer, it is her warm interpretations of lyrics that make her release most notable. She is assisted by pianist Mark Soskin, bassist Harvie Swartz, drummer Danny Gottlieb, Chris Potter on tenor and soprano and (on a few numbers) cellist Erik Friedlander, violinist Gregor Hubner and percussionist Memo Acevedo. Careful attention was paid to varying tempos and moods, and the result is a highly recommended effort by a very appealing singer.~Dreamsville Review by Scott Yanow