This Is A Bird

Alison Ruble is a sublime vocalist with an adventurous spirit on her debut CD. Gifted with a rich alto and precise articulation, she blends elements of pop and folk into her infectious arrangement of Cole Porter's "So in Love," while her sublime, deliberate and funky setting of "If I Had You" casts another chestnut in very new light. Guitarist John McLean and Jim Gailloreto's playful alto flute provide sublime accompaniment for her warm vocals in "Skylark." Ruble also take the standard "Lazy Afternoon" into new territory, blending McLean's folky guitar with Gailloreto's spirited soprano sax as the group gradually builds the tension to a soft climax. Ruble especially excels in duo settings, including a hip "It's Magic" with bassist Larry Kohut and a superb "This Nearly Was Mine" with pianist Joann Daugherty. Only Burt Bacharach's monotonous "Always Something There to Remind Me" is a disappointment, as it pales when compared to the rest of the material on Alison Ruble's exciting debut as a leader.