New Releases : ** 1/2 : TERENCE BLANCHARD;”The Billie Holiday Songbook” (<i> Columbia</i> )

As it travels through its modest peaks and not so deep valleys, this album is a bit of a disappointment. While Blanchard has never been known as primarily a melodic player, his work in that area with his quintet--which plays May 26-29 at the Jazz Bakery--has become increasingly appealing. Funny to say, then, that there’s too much pure melody here, too many literal renditions of such songs as “Detour Ahead,” “Don’t Explain,” “I Cover the Waterfront” and nine others, all but two taken at slow tempos.

Blanchard, ordinarily a crackling, no-holds-barred soloist, seems constrained by these dirge-like tempos and plays with an unusual languidness. The accompaniment--mostly Gil Evans-ish strings and woodwinds arranged by Miles Goodman--does little to liberate the trumpeter. “What a Little Moonlight,” taken briskly, is a notable exception, and the leader is nicely on fire here.

The album breathes with more life when Jeanie Bryson comes in to offer vocals on five tracks. Singing in a straightforward, intimate manner, Bryson floats over the up-tempo charge of “Moonlight,” is suitably ironic on “Detour Ahead” and is sultry and bluesy on “Fine and Mellow.”

Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good, recommended), four stars (excellent).