Diane Schuur is the Ethel Merman of jazz: a consummate professional who never misses her mark and knows precisely how to sell whatever she’s selling, with a big sound and a penchant for grand gestures. For Schuur’s latest, she is backed by an all-star ensemble-pianist Alan Broadbent, bassist Ben Wolfe, drummer Ulysses Owens Jr., saxophonist Joel Frahm and guitarists Romero Lubambo and Roni Ben-Hur-as she salutes two of her musical heroes, Stan Getz and Frank Sinatra.
Across all nine tracks, her “go big or go home” credo is exercised ardently. On “I’ve Got You Under My Skin,” her desire isn’t merely intense but towering, complete with a closing swoon. Her “Here’s That Rainy Day” isn’t drizzly, it’s cyclonic. On “Didn’t We,” pensive heartache is amped up to reeling regret.
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