Susannah McCorkle: The Songs of Johnny Mercer

McCorkle’s singing is wonderfully reminiscent of the young Billie Holiday. Recorded in 1977, she is backed on this release by a quintet of British musicians, including pianist Keith Ingham, trumpeter Digby Fairweather, and tenorist Danny Moss. Moss’s breathy, Webster-ian blowing partners perfectly with McCorkle’s smoky, sexy and intelligent vocals on “Fools Rush In,” “I’m Old Fashioned,” and “Talk to Me Baby.” “My New Celebrity” is a humorous romp. Ingham shines on the beautiful, infrequently heard “How Little We Know.” – Marcela Breton

Originally Published January 1, 1997