Some records you really can judge by their cover. Take the latest release by Jane Scheckter, for instance. There’s a picture of Jane on the front, which is apt because it’s a vocal jazz album and you’ll hear a lot of her. Pianist Ted Firth, bassist Jay Leonhart and drummer Peter Grant are also mentioned—you’ll hear plenty of them, too. The album is called I’ll Take Romance and, as one might expect, it’s a collection of romantic jazz songs—both ballads and dance numbers. You might be expecting a big “but” here, but there isn’t one. What you see is pretty much what you get. (Not a criticism.)
Scheckter is a veteran of the New York City jazz scene, winner of a Bistro Award and five-times nominee for a MAC Award (both which recognise top cabaret talent). She has been singing since she was in grade school, wowing audiences at top New York venues including Birdland, the Metropolitan Room, the Iridium, and Lincoln Center Jazz at Rose Hall. (Fun fact: she’s also a musical theatre actress and a successful fashion designer.)
The award-winning vocalist has released four albums between 1988 and 2012, all of which eschew the stock standards for lesser-heard classics. I’ll Take Romance is no exception: one might expect it to open with a well-worn ballad by Ella, Etta or Nina—“Dancing Cheek to Cheek,” “At Last,” “My Baby Just Cares for Me” or something—but
