Voices in Modern

That's not a typo; the full title of this odd compilation is Voices in Modern, though Voices in Modern Jazz might have been more appropriate. This brand of vocal jazz was indeed modern, to varying degrees, when it was recorded by these three artists in 1959 and 1960, though it sounded dated (again to varying degrees) upon its reissue on this CD about 50 years later. The first dozen songs from this 24-track disc present, in its entirety, Blossom Dearie's 1960 album Soubrette: Sings Broadway Hit Songs. It features her interpretation of tunes from musicals spanning 1931-1957, some of them from productions that would be performed and remembered for a long time (Guys & Dolls, Kiss Me Kate), others from Broadway hits that have been for the most part forgotten. Dearie's girlish voice, and the oft-cutesy material, will not be to everyone's tastes, even if you're a jazz vocal fan. This was her first LP done with orchestral arrangements, which have a daintiness in line with much of the material, but also might irritate those with a low tolerance for the preciousness associated with overtly romantic musicals. ~ Richie Unterberger