Danish singer Caecilie Norby's first recording to be released in the United States is quite a mixed bag. At times,
Norby comes across as
Nancy Wilson, going over the top in places and not showing much subtlety; on Irving Berlin's classic "Suppertime," she does not seem to know what she is singing about, sounding quite upbeat about a lynching. Some other selections are pop-ish (including odd revivals of "The Look of Love" and "Spinning Wheel"), but there are places (such as on "Just One of Those Things" and Wayne Shorter's "African Fairytale") where
Norby shows potential as a jazz singer. She is assisted by a strong cast of Americans and Scandinavians (including pianists
Dave Kikoski and
Joey Calderazzo, keyboardist
Lars Jansson, drummer
Terri Lyne Carrington, trumpeter
Randy Brecker, and, on "Spinning Wheel," tenor saxophonist
Michael Brecker), but Caecilie Norby's more significant work probably lies in the future. ~ Scott Yanow