April 2001

Jill Seifers
Birdland Sessions
E1 Music

By Willard Jenkins

With a timbre reminiscent of Rickie Lee Jones, sans the quirks and humor, Jill Seifers is a pleasant enough chanteuse. Backed solely by pianist Michael Kanan, however, a sort of vocal malaise sets in after a few doses from her nine-track set of tried and true standards. It's not as though Seifers can't sing; there's simply too much of a formulaic approach to songs that I've heard and experienced ad infinitum to coerce return listens, her color pallet has its limitations and the molasses tempi elicit little spark.