Vocal fans should check out Roiger, who has an excellent vocal quality and understands the value of understatement (especially as regards vibrato.) Some of her lyrics to Monk tunes come off quite well. The focus is on her voice and Monegon’s solid bass work, and it takes considerable musical intelligence to make this work. The contributions of Kenny Burrell and Jack DeJohnette in this context are like sips of fine cognac. Personally, I think Roiger overworks her against-the-beat approach, but there’s a lot to recommend about this thoughtful release.
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