Noted for the beauty of her voice and ability to freshen up the most tired lyric,
Susannah McCorkle left behind an impressive and large body of work at the time of her death in 2001.
Ballad Essentials concentrates on
McCorkle's softer side, collecting a dozen pieces recorded for Concord between 1983 and 2000. A remarkable cadre including
Ken Peplowski,
Emily Remler, and
Bucky Pizzarelli join her on a variety of standards by
Cole Porter, Rodgers & Hart, and the
Gershwin brothers. The arrangements vary from vocal/guitar duets with
Howard Alden and
Al Gafa to the small-orchestra backing of "Let's Face the Music and Dance." There's an enjoyable, intimate version of "Why Don't We Try Staying at Home" and an elegant rendering of "Skylark." It's notable that
McCorkle, like
Ella Fitzgerald, chooses to include the verse, or beginning, of songs like "There's No Business Like Show Business" and "It Never Entered My Mind." A lovely rendition of
Django Reinhardt's "Nuages," complete with French and English lyrics, provides a pleasant surprise, while "Manhã de Carnaval (Sunrise)" displays
McCorkle's ability as an interpreter of South American material. For those less familiar with the great vocalist's work,
Ballad Essentials serves as an excellent primer. For fans, the album gathers a dozen similarly toned pieces, or an hour's worth of music, in one place. A fine collection. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford Jr.