Naama Gheber Dearly Beloved

Naama Gheber
Dearly Beloved
Cellar Music Records

Israeli-born singer Naama Gheber makes her debut on a program taken from the American Songbook. The trio of Ray Gallon on piano, David Wong on bass, and Adam Kimmel on drums, back her. This trio accompanied her at a year-long residency at New York's Mezzrow Jazz Club. Vibraphonist Steve Nelson guests on five selections. Gheber fell in love with the American Songbook while studying at Tel Aviv's Center For Jazz Studies. "I immediately felt at home with standards and worked on finding my own voice within them." For this recording, she choose songs with deep personal significance. "Recording songs that I feel strongly connected to was a way to bring myself to the album."

With her perfect pitch, musical and swinging phrasing, and delivery of lyrics, Gheber's singing will charm listeners. Her lovely singing is full of warmth and wonderfully backed throughout. Opening with the Kern & Mercer composed title song, she displays a lyricism and romantic tone that is complemented by Nelson's shimmering vibes and the swing of the rhythm section as she easily negotiates the changes meter. The mix of understatement with the longing she expresses makes her rendition of "So In Love" some engrossing. Bassist Wong is an anchor here while Kimmel adeptly adds rhythmic coloring. Wong's bass sets the tempo behind her horn-like phrasing on a brief, brisk "'S Wonderful." Pianist Gallon dazzles while Kimmel takes a drum solo.

This writer is a sucker for interpretations of Buddy Johnson's classic ballad, "Since I Feel For You." Gheber's performance is outstanding as she brings out every nuance of the lyrics. Then there is a bouncy I Can't Give You Anything But Love," with Nelson taking a sparkling solo before trading fours with Kimmel. Nelson's playing adds to the dreaming opening of "You Stepped Out of a Dream." There is also the sober, melancholy of "Get Out of Town," and the coquettish playfulness of "i." On the latter tune, she interpolates, "Don't Get Around Much Anymore." Gallon, besides helping on Gheber's arrangement, plays a stunning solo.

The album closes with a mix of "Good Night My Love" with an Israeli lullaby, "Layla Tov," with Nelson elegant vibes adding color under her choice vocal. It provides a coda to a splendid debut of a jazz singer we will undoubtedly hear more of in the future.

I received my review copy from a publicist. Here Naama performs "Dearly Beloved."