May I Come In

For her third release as a vocal soloist, Lisanne Lyons has a definite winner with May I Come In (OA2 Records). Lyons had a varied career: singing with an Air Force Band for six years right out of high school; getting a degree from the University of Miami's Frost School of Music; performing in musical theater; singing with a variety of big bands such as Harry James, Artie Shaw and Maynard Ferguson; being a member of vocal groups like Mad Romance and the Uptown Jazz Quartet; and serving as a jazz educator. She has put her impressive credentials on full display for this 10-tune program. Backed by a big band arranged and conducted by Mike Lewis, the selections include "The Song Is You," "This Is Always," "Baubles, Bangles & Beads," and "Tulip or Turnip," No matter the tempo, Lyons nails each number. In addition to her strong vocalizing, she has exquisite taste in her song selection, including many songs that are generally under the radar like "Moonlight," "May I Come In," "Unless It's You," "There'll Be Another Spring" and "Waiter, Make Mine the Blues," a rarely recorded song from the Anita O'Day catalog. When I listened to this album, it made me think, "Why is she not a household name?"