With Love

Williams is an uncompromising artist who consistently produces one stunning album after another. In recent years, she has primarily recorded her own brilliant compositions. So this album of standards played solo is a welcome detour. She elects to state these serene and glistening melodies with only minimal improvisation. This is wise, because these melodies stand on their own. Every note says something, and Williams plays the necessary ones and the right ones. I can picture her making the recording. The emotion was in high gear, and you can hear it on every tune. And exactly which ones does she give us? How about "For All We Know," "My Foolish Heart," "I Fall in Love Too Easily," "Summertime," "But Beautiful," "When I Fall in Love," "It Might as Well Be Spring," Leonard Bernstein's "Somewhere," and one dreamy original called "Paradise of Love." Do you wear your heart on your sleeve? It's okay, so do I. I guess I just love "pretty." And this, believe me, is pretty.