Alison Ruble is a sublime vocalist with an adventurous spirit on her debut CD. Gifted with a rich alto and precise articulation, she blends elements of pop and folk into her infectious arrangement of
Cole Porter's "So in Love," while her sublime, deliberate, and funky setting of "If I Had You" casts another chestnut in a very new light. Guitarist
John McLean and
Jim Gailloreto's playful alto flute provide sublime accompaniment for her warm vocals in "Skylark."
Ruble also takes the standard "Lazy Afternoon" into new territory, blending
McLean's folky guitar with
Gailloreto's spirited soprano sax as the group gradually builds the tension to a soft climax.
Ruble especially excels in duo settings, including a hip "It's Magic" with bassist Larry Kohut and a superb "This Nearly Was Mine" with pianist Jo Ann Daugherty. Only
Burt Bacharach's monotonous "Always Something There to Remind Me" is a disappointment, as it pales when compared to the rest of the material on
Alison Ruble's exciting debut as a leader. ~ Ken Dryden