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To hear a unique twist on the singing of standard material,
check out the music of Gardner.
Although nearly all of the program consists of well-known Broadway and Tin Pan Alley tunes,
they are presented with an offbeat melody line that makes the session entirely Gardner.
She sings in a deep, sultry voice that exudes a smoky flavor filled with emotional drippings.
Gardner puts a slight Latin spin or a hip jazz beat into her work and takes the songs into
a different realm with her diverse interpretation of the composers.
Her singing style is reminiscent of Betty Carter's in the way she phrases.
Gardner delves into the lowest tonal range with smoldering expressions that ooze with sensuality;
then she swiftly lifts off with swinging vocal improvisations.
Her voice can be quite beguiling.
Gardner's quartet puts out a big supportive sound behind her.
Posmontier on piano and Swana on brass are responsive to Gardner's direction and
kick the program into high gear with excellent solos during the vocal breaks.
The rhythm team is also up-front-and-personal, filling in all the crevices with substance.
None of this interferes with Gardner's approach. She moves headlong into the program,
spitting out rounds of improvised melody lines while the band gets into her groove.
Gardner also presents one of her compositions, the love song "Metaphoric Heartbreak",
that has a haunting hint of "Angel Eyes" at its core.
It is a great vehicle for Gardner, allowing her to get emphatic with the unrequited love lyrics.
Gardner gets strong support
throughout from her band, but the strength of the recording comes from her style.
She has produced a first-rate first album that highlights her exceptional vocal talents very effectively.
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