June and Chet (Music Thoughts: Let’s Fall In Love: June Bisantz sings Chet Baker, June Bisantz)

51kdsjtwgpl._ss500‘Let’s Fall In Love’ is a tribute album to Chet Baker, specifically his vocal work, and it is a wonderful album. I can’t believe I had never heard of her before. A glance at her personal website gives me the impression that she lives in Connecticut and performs at local venues there.

This album is from 2006 and has the most wonderful repertoire, all done with just a piano, and Bisantz does wonderful readings of these songs. My favorites: a slow swirl ‘I’ve Never Been In Love Before,’ and ‘Like Someone In Love.’ Her voice recalls one of my favorite unsung jazz vocalists, Pinky Winters. There’s a clarity in how she sings the words to the songs that make you feel that she knows these words intimately and the stories she tells are all personal. The result is most heartfelt, and she doesn’t need all these accoutrements in her tracks to express anything. Yes, the purest interpretation comes in the most simple ones. I think there is a Volume 2 of this project and now I must find and listen to it!

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