Take It from the Top (feat. Michel Herr & Ricardo Del Fra)

Denise Jannah made her debut as a leader with this 1991 session for Timeless. This native of Surinam (Dutch Guiana) has a strong voice that swings mightily and conveys emotion without ever resorting to sappiness. You have to like a singer who restores the often omitted verse to an oldie like "Pennies from Heaven," then scats up a storm to boot. No one does the verse to the standard "Willow Weep for Me," yet Jannah's haunting introduction, backed solely by pianist Michel Herr, sets up the message of the song perfectly. But nowhere does Jannah pack as big a punch as she does in her moving take of "I Get Along Without You Very Well." Bop fans will love the intricate take of "Groovin' High" — featuring a fine alto sax solo by Rolf Delfos and muted trumpet by Angelo Verploegen — in which she alternates between adept scatting and singing Kirby Stone's vocalese lyrics. She is also open to contemporary material, delivering a heartfelt interpretation of rocker Sting's "Fragile" in an easygoing bossa nova setting. Though Denise Jannah has made many rewarding CDs following this remarkable debut, this CD is well worth acquiring, too.