PERSONNEL Rachel Caswell, vocals Lynne Arriale, piano Kelly Sill, bass Steve Davis, drums Sara Caswell, violin ABOUT There are singers who show evidence of jazz influences and there are singers who choose to sing material from the jazz canon, but Rachel Caswell is that rara avis who is truly a jazz vocalist. Her intonation is impeccable, her diction precise, her jazz sensibilities above reproach, and she swings like mad! Almost certainly her training as an instrumentalist, her skill as a jazz cellist, and the early age at which she was exposed to the best of jazz all contributed to her superb jazz vocal abilities. Few improvisers -- vocal or instrumental -- have better ears than she possesses and she has an exceptional instrument that is immediately identifiable among a sea of other vocalists. For this recording, her first as a leader, Rachel chose some of the finest musicians in the business: pianist Lynne Arriale, bassist Kelly Sill, and drummer Steve Davis. As an added treat her younger sister, jazz violinist par excellence Sara Caswell, appears as a guest on three of the tracks. Rachel's versatility is reflected in the wide range of materials she chose for this recording. There are beautiful standards -- "Alone Together" from the 1932 revue Flying Colors, "Some Other Time" from Leonard Bernstein's musical On the Town, and "I Remember You" from the 1942 movie The Fleet's In -- as well as some seldom-heard gems like "I Walk With Music" from the 1940 collaboration between Johnny Mercer and Hoagy Carmichael, Walk With Music, "Everytime You Smile" by Peter Bennett and Mitchell Parish, and "Moonlight" by John Williams with lyrics by Alan and Marilyn Bergman that was written for the 1995 remake of the film Sabrina. There are also exciting works by contemporary composers Kenny Wheeler ("For Jan"), Christine Jensen ("Marsh Blues"), Bob Dorough ("Nothing Like You"), George Garzone ("The Mingus That I Knew"), and Nancy King ("Moonlight to You"). The arrangements are uniformly exciting and in impeccable taste, and include a duet between Rachel and bassist Kelly Sill on "I Remember You," a vocal-bass-drum rendition of jazz giant Oscar Pettiford's "Tricotism," and three cuts with Sara ("Some Other Time," "Marsh Blues," and "The Mingus That I Knew"). This is a hell of a debut recording for an incredible talent. Every track offers something special and my favorites change from hearing to hearing. Forget picking favorites -- just chill out and enjoy this delightful singer and her cohorts! David Baker, Former Chair, Indiana University Jacobs School of Music Jazz Studies Dept.