Kelley Johnson - Make Someone Happy (1998)

Kelley Johnson's CD is full of surprises. She sings her own lyrics to Joe Henderson's "Recorda Me," arranges several of the pieces, and holds her own with an impressive group that includes either Fred Hersch or John Hansen on piano and several different horn players (including altoist Steve Nelson). Although the repertoire contains quite a few standards, each treatment sounds fresh, with some rhythmic displacement of the melodies, unusual frameworks, and consistently mature singing. Whether it be a faster than usual "How Long Has This Been Going On," "Stompin' at the Savoy," Abbey Lincoln's "Throw It Away," or an introspective version of "Make Someone Happy," this is a CD that rewards repeated listenings; it introduces a potentially significant new voice in the Seattle-based Kelley Johnson. ~Scott Yanow