CD reviews: Singer Amy Cervini proves to be a keeper

Amy Cervini (Anzic)

Amy Cervini shows again on "Love Fool" that she is a new singer not to be ignored. The album not only features her great command of song, but it also has a fine band built around the controlled drumming of her brother, Ernesto, and great piano work of Michael Cabe. Cervini's voice is strong but wonderfully controlled, even when she sings in front of backup voices on Willie Nelson's "Sad Songs and Waltzes." The album goes many ways. The title cut is a tango with a string quartet and "I Wanna Get Married" is wonderful in its lyrics about everyday life with "golden retrievers and Beaver Cleavers." It also is helped by visits from tenor saxophonist Joel Frahm on Blossom Dearie's "Bye Bye Country Boy" and bass clarinetist Marty Ehrlich on the title cut.

— Bob Karlovits

Dana Hall (Origin)

Drummer Dana Hall is a subtle force on "Into the Light." He is surrounded by a band featuring top-notch players such as trumpeter Terell Stafford and saxophonist Tim Warfield Jr. Their play, as always, might make the project seem to be theirs. But always in the background is Hall, playing with fury that never gets in the way of anyone else, but always kicks the band into hard work. In many ways, he is mindful of Jeff "Tain" Watts, the Pittsburgh native who is an ever-developing dynamic force. Behind Stafford's solo on Herbie Hancock's "I Have a Dream," Hall's cymbal and drum work explodes consistently, but never robs the trumpeter. Even on the mellower "Orchids," Hall provides a great drum cushion, Most of the pieces on the album are current and fresh looks at mainstream jazz, but "Jabali" has a more Ornette Coleman-like heart, even though its direction is a little more straightforward, Hall also wrote six of the nine tunes.

— Bob Karlovits