Versatile Vocalists Who Shouldn’t Be Overlooked

The major successes of Diana Krall, followed by the growing prominence of Jane Monheit, has opened the floodgates to what will soon be a torrent of new, ambitious young jazz singers. But it would be a shame if the fascination with relatively untested performers obscured the work of a substantial number of older (but not old) vocal artists.

Janis Siegel, for example, has been a prominent member of the Manhattan Transfer for three decades without leaving behind her impressive abilities as a solo singer. On “I Wish You Love” (***, Telarc Records), she has positioned herself in a solidly supportive musical setting.

Siegel has always had an ear for a good song, and the program here is no exception, including such relatively offbeat items as “The Late Late Show” and “The Big Hurt,” as well as the more familiar “Don’t Go to Strangers.” In part, the diversity of the material traces to the album concept, focusing on pop songs of the ‘50s and ‘60s, as well as jazz vocals that crossed over to the pop charts. But what makes it all work is Siegel’s unerring ability to find the dramatic heart of such far-ranging pieces.

Among the highlights: a lovely rendering of “(I’m Afraid) The Masquerade Is Over,” in which her vocal floats above a stretched-out meter; and an insightful version of “Guess Who I Saw Today,” accompanied only by Cedar Walton’s piano, in which Siegel captures both the sentimentality and the irony of this tricky evergreen. In addition to Walton, the accompanying players include trumpeter Tom Harrell and--performing with particular sensitivity--saxophonist David “Fathead” Newman. (Siegel will be at the Jazz Bakery March 12 through 17 with the Eric Reed Trio.)

Ann Hampton Callaway has been both well served and somewhat handicapped by her remarkable versatility. Most recently, she has performed on Broadway in the musical “Swing,” she is a busy songwriter (among others, “At the Same Time” on Barbra Streisand’s “Higher Ground” album) and she wrote (and performed) the perky theme music for the sitcom “The Nanny.”

Somewhat obscured by all this activity has been the fact that Callaway, when she puts her mind to it, is a fine jazz vocal artist. On her new album, “Signature” (***, N-Coded Music/After Nine Records), she definitely has focused herself.

As with the Siegel album, a thematic foundation is evident. In this case, as the title suggests, it is the gathering together of a group of “signature” songs associated with some of Callaway’s favorite artists. Some examples: “In the Wee Small Hours” (Frank Sinatra); “Tenderly” (Sarah Vaughan); “Good Morning, Heartache” (Billie Holiday); and “The Best Is Yet to Come” (Tony Bennett).

The task Callaway has set for herself is a daunting one: to honor such legendary artists--especially in material they have managed to creatively possess--without falling into the trap of simulation. To a large extent, she has managed to do just that, remaining firmly in touch with her highly personal style, while capturing the essence of each tune.

The most difficult was “Is That All There Is?”--so personally associated with Peggy Lee (and now, sadly, so powerful a reminder, via a CD arriving only weeks after Lee’s passing). Although not her most effective rendering, Callaway successfully finds her way through the number. She has better luck with a similarly familiar original source when she duets with Freddy Cole on “For All We Know,” one of his older brother Nat King Cole’s classics. Not exactly “Unforgettable,” but memorable nonetheless.

Enhancing the production, the New York Voices join Callaway on “Route 66” and “Twisted,” with what appears to be a new, witty intro by Callaway on the latter. Wynton Marsalis--who is a regular on her albums--offers his version of Louis Armstrong to accompany Callaway’s romp through “Give Me a Kiss to Build a Dream On,” and the presence of Kenny Barron on piano adds the touch of musical class that he always brings to a project.

Nancy Wilson and Ramsey Lewis recorded an album 17 years ago. But in the case of 1984’s “The Two of Us,” their parts were recorded separately, and they never performed together at the same time. On “Meant to Be” (**1/2, Narada Jazz), however, they work in close proximity. But even here one is obliged to make a slight disclaimer: Although it’s billed as a duo release, the CD in fact only includes five songs by Wilson, with the balance dedicated to the always elegant and listenable work of the Lewis trio.

Wilson’s performances lately have revealed a diminution of some of the pop-styled mannerisms that tended to dominate her work in the ‘90s. Here, on three tracks--”Peel Me a Grape,” “First Time Love” and “Moondance”--she takes a laid-back approach, her voice soft, her phrasing easygoing and her manner unprepossessing. But on the remaining two pieces, “Piano in the Dark” and “Did I Ever Really Live,” many of the distracting qualities--a chasm-wide vibrato, occasional yodeling and melodramatic climaxes--return. Given the appealing qualities of the other numbers, it’s particularly bothersome that Wilson, who obviously is fully capable of fine jazz artistry, doesn’t do a better job of maximizing her enviable creative abilities.

As long as we’re taking a look at veteran artists, I have to include an album by a performer who is not really identified as a jazz singer. Yet, like Sinatra, his phrasing and musical persona are deeply rooted in the jazz experience.

Henri Salvador is a legendary French performer with a career back to performances with Django Reinhardt in the mid-’30s. I don’t think it’s particularly ageist to note that--from his performances--one would never suspect Salvador is 84 years old.

Salvador spent a few years living in Rio de Janeiro, and Brazilian rhythms course through many of the tracks on “Room With a View” (***, Blue Note), which was released in France in 2000 (it has already sold more than a million copies in Europe). In 2002, it won album of the year at Les Victoires de la Musique (roughly, the French Grammys), and Salvador was honored as male artist of the year.

Although a few of the tracks are plagued by occasionally errant pitch, Salvador’s sweet-sounding voice and lovely phrasing more than compensate. “All I Really Want Is Love,” a duet with baby-voiced Swedish singer Lisa Ekdahl, is the only track recorded especially for the U.S. release of the album, presumably to pacify the English-speaking market--and it’s the least interesting. Blue Note should have left well enough alone.

Salvador’s French-language vocals (as well as Portuguese and, on the title track, English) communicate beautifully, especially over the floating bossa nova rhythms of “Vagabond.” On “Un Tour de Manage,” the harmonica of Toots Thielemans adds an atmospheric touch, and on the marvelously romantic “Je Sais Que Tu Sais (Que je t’aime)” he reveals the pleasures of a performance that transcends both genre and age.

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Don Heckman writes frequently about jazz for the Times.