Marlene VerPlanck - Loves Johnny Mercer (1979)

Marlene Ver Planck is a perfect person to interpret the lyrics of Johnny Mercer because she has both a beautiful voice and a straightforward approach. The original LP had 16 selections and found the singer accompanied by pianist Tony Monte, guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli, bassist Milt Hinton and drummer Butch Miles in 1978. Ten years later to fill out the CD reissue, the same cast returned to record five additional songs. The performances are quite concise (only four of the 21 pieces are over three minutes) but each is long enough to get its point across. Highlights include "I Remember You," "Early Autumn," "Skylark," "Something's Gotta Give," "I Thought About You" and "Love's Got Me in a Lazy Mood." Recommended.~Loves Johnny Mercer Review by Scott Yanow