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LAURA PERLMAN PRECIOUS MOMENTS MHR8625 1. I’ve Never Been In Love Before [3:29] 2. I’ve Grown Accustomed To His Face [3:59] 3. But Beautiful [5:10] 4. My Favorite Things [3:51] 5. I’m Old Fashioned (Arr. Bill Cunliffe) [3:25] 6. You Go To My Head [6:53] 7. My Foolish Heart [5:21] 8. On The Street Where You Live (Arr. Bill Cunliffe) [4:52] 9. My One And Only Love [4:53] 10. Every Time We say Goodbye [4:45] Laura Perlman (vocals) Bill Cunliffe (piano) Mark Sherman (vibraphone) Chris Colangelo (bass) Joe La Barbera (drums) MILES HIGH RECORDS MHR8625 [46:38]

Jazz singer Laura Perlman began her music career as a vocalist, then changed directions and became one of Hollywood’s leading film music editors instead, working on over 100 films during the last 20 years. With the help of Mark Sherman, owner of Miles High Records, Laura has returned to her roots and recorded her first album, Precious Moments. This collection of ten jazz standards features Laura accompanied by a quartet of top jazz instrumentalists: pianist Bill Cunliffe, drummer Joe La Barbera, bassist Chris Colangelo, and Mark Sherman himself on the vibraphone.

Laura knows her away around a jazz chart. Her singing style is light and breezy, slightly breathy, with a natural flair and easy swing style of phrasing. She has a friendly alto range that tails off and away at the top, and she often sings behind or off the beat, sliding and bending notes to catch up. One of my favorite songs on this disc is the gentle ballad But Beautiful, written by Jimmy Van Heusen and Johnny Burke for the 1947 film Road to Rio. Laura sings with feeling and sensitivity, and her voice seems to reach the top of her range at just the right moment.

Two songs from My Fair Lady demonstrate the bands’ capabilities; a swinging bossa nova version of I’ve Grown Accustomed To His Face, with a solid drum solo by Joe La Barbera, and a breezy rendition of On The Street Where You Live, with fine instrumental solos by Mark Sherman and pianist Bill Cunliffe, who also provided the arrangement. Chris Colangelo provides a supple and imaginative bass accompaniment on I’m Old Fashioned, composed by Jerome Kern and Johnny Mercer for the 1942 film You Were Never Lovelier, and also shines with a smooth bass solo on You Go To My Head.

The disc case has liner notes and comments by Mark Sherman and Laura Perlman. The music was recorded, mixed and master by Talley Sherwood at Tritone, and the sound quality is excellent. This is a fine debut album; the songs are all standards, and the band is first-rate. I am looking forward to hearing where Laura’s next disc will take us.

Bruce McCollum

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