Armed with a big, sturdy voice and buckets of assertive vocal confidence, Cathy Rocco suggests Nancy Wilson by way of Carmen McRae, with the occasional side trip into Lena Horne territory. But the Pittsburgh native’s professional history more closely resembles Rosemary Clooney’s. Like Clooney, who got her start alongside sister Betty, Rocco launched her career in tandem with sibling Connie. They toured the world together, and even scored a minor pop hit with “One Passionate Night.” Then Rocco went solo and, again like Rosie, built upon a solid pop foundation to blossom into a fine jazz singer, as demonstrated with striking dexterity throughout this debut album.
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