Search - Vanessa Rubin :: Girl Talk

On Girl Talk, Vanessa Rubin runs the gamut of jazz styles and vocal approaches. Ably accompanied by a stellar band of veterans and up-and-comers--Cedar Walton and Larry Willis on piano, Lewis Nash on drums, Eric Alexander and Javon Jackson on tenor sax, David Williams on bass--Rubin puts her warm, tuneful stamp on a variety of material. Though wearing her influences on her sleeve--Ella Fitzgerald, Carmen McCrae, Sarah Vaughan, Dakota Staton, and Nancy Wilson--Rubin nonetheless brings enough personality to make these songs her own. From the jaunty "Matchmaker, Matchmaker" to the sad and dreamy "One for My Baby" to the risqué "Sex Is a Misdemeanor (The More You Miss De Meaner You Get)," Rubin exults in her stylistic range and chameleonlike voice. On "But Not for Me" and "Gee, Baby, Ain't I Good to You," she's joined by husky-voiced Etta James, who brings some gritty authenticity to the mix. Along with Diana Krall and Cassandra Wilson, Vanessa Rubin shows respect for her predecessors while bringing something fresh to the music. --Wally Shoup