Jeanie Bryson - Deja Blue (2001)

Jeanie Bryson gently cradles you with her velvet voice on Deja Blue, her debut release for Koch Jazz. Bryson reaches a comparable level of achievement and accomplishment with respect to her last release, Some Cats Know: Jeanie Bryson Sings the Songs of Peggy Lee, on Deja Blue as a result of her accompanists which include Christian McBride on acoustic and electric bass, Steve Nelson on vibes, Ted Brancato on piano and Fender Rhodes, and Gerry Niewood on flute and alto flute. Special guest Etta Jones duets with Jeanie Bryson on "It's So Nice to Have a Man Around the House" with their contrasting vocals providing a complete contrast. Bryson is sweet, laid-back, and melodic while Jones has a magnetism that draws comparisons to Dakota Staton and Dinah Washington. "Deja Blue" is a sultry ballad with an excellent solo by Steve Nelson on vibes. Bryson has that unforgettable vocal quality that sustains the innuendo inherent in a blues about yearning and love-gone-wrong. Her rendition of "Poetry Man" gives this pop standard a new charm, with twice the seduction of the original version. Once again Jeanie Bryson shows her musical genius and delivers a solid program from beginning to end. ~ Paula Edelstein