Joanna Pascale's debut album,
When Lights Are Low, demonstrated that the Philadelphia-based jazz vocalist not only had impressive vocal chops -- she also brought a wealth of feeling and soulfulness to the table. The disc's main shortcoming was a problem that is all too common in both instrumental and vocal jazz: the warhorse factor. In other words,
When Lights Are Low was dominated by beaten-to-death warhorses that have been recorded much too often for their own good.
When Lights Are Low indicated that
Pascale needed to become more adventurous in her choice of material, and she makes some progress in that area on her second album,
Through My Eyes. Although not devoid of warhorses, this 2008 release also contains its share of gems that haven't been beaten to death by jazz vocalists -- for example, "When I Grow Too Old to Dream," "P.S. I Love You," and Bob Russell's "Blue Gardenia."
Pascale even finds the jazz potential in
Ruby & the Romantics' 1963 soul-pop classic "Our Day Will Come," which works enjoyably well for her. And the fact that
Pascale is broadening her repertoire is important because having an interesting, far-reaching repertoire is one of the things that can make an artist stand out in the ultra-crowded jazz vocal field. Emotionally,
Pascale hasn't lost anything on
Through My Eyes; she still values expression over technique, combining
Shirley Horn's subtle introspection with elements of
Billie Holiday,
Jimmy Scott (a male singer with primarily female influences), and
Dinah Washington. Combine all that feeling with perfect intonation and strong vocal chops, and you have a major talent on your hands.
Pascale still has some work to do when it comes to broadening and expanding her repertoire in the studio; she's still more Tin Pan Alley-centric than she needs to be. But
Through My Eyes is definitely a step in the right direction and reaffirms the fact that this Philadelphia resident is someone to pay close attention to. ~ Alex Henderson