Sheila Jordan's debut recording was one of the very few vocal records made for Blue Note during Alfred Lion's reign. Accompanied by the subtle guitarist
Barry Galbraith, bassist
Steve Swallow, and drummer Denzil Best,
Jordan sounds quite distinctive, cool-toned, and adventurous during her classic date. Her interpretations of Oscar Brown, Jr.'s "Hum Drum Blues" and 11 standards (including "Falling in Love With Love," "Dat Dere," "Baltimore Oriole," and "I'm a Fool to Want You") are both swinging and haunting. Possibly because of her originality,
Sheila Jordan would not record again for over a dozen years, making this highly recommended set quite historic. [
Portrait of Sheila Jordan was re-released on LP in 2016.] ~ Scott Yanow