A fine jazz vocal CD

Earlier this week, I walked over to my local Tower Record store during lunch hour, looking for something or someone new to listen to. One of the listening stations had a new album titled "Under The Moon" by Barbara Sfraga, a jazz vocalist from Long Island, NY, I had never heard. The sale price was only $10.99, so I decided to listen to a few cuts, and liked it so much I bought the CD.

From her picture on the cover, Sfraga appears to be in her early 30's, although her singing sounds more mature. I'd characterize her singing style as a blend of Patricia Barber and Diane Krall, but with a bit purer voice than Barber. Sfraga is also considerably "hipper" than Barber or Krall, with a distinct touch of Mark Murphy, whom she acknowledges as a strong influence.

The songs on the album are mostly standards by some of the great song American writers: "Stardust", "Mood Indigo", "I've Grown Accustomed To His Face", "Sophisticated Lady", "Prelude To A Kiss", etc. There are two more recent songs, however, that Sfraga sings marvelously: "Under The Moon and Over The The Sky" (by Angela Bofill), and "Every Grain of Sand" (by Bob Dylan).

Sfraga's band features some really outstanding work, with crisp, edgy, guitar work that is quite reminiscent of Bill Frisell; rich, full acoustic bass; and nuanced, intelligent drumming. The band is very well recorded, with good soundstaging that places the instruments in precise locations and in proper perspective (for example, the drum kit is centered and of appropriate width, unlike some recordings that make the drum set sound 15 wide).

Sfraga's vocals are well served by the minimalist acoustic instrumentation, allowing her very clear, articulate phrasing to be heard to excellent effect. The recording perspective brings the listener into the recording studio (rather than placing the musicians in your room), although it is just the slightest bit dry.

I liked this CD very much, and I think many of you will also. While Sfraga will hardly be confused with the great Sarah Vaughn (actually, I can't think of any contemporary singer that does), she is a very pleasant "find" for me. I'd rate both the performance and the audio quality in the 8-9 point range. The album is on the A440 MusicGroup label (see the company web site at www.A440MusicGroup.com).