Gloria Cooper - Dedicated To You (2005)

A fairly straight singer with a warm but cool voice, Gloria Cooper at times hints at Maxine Sullivan and Shirley Horn. The program on Dedicated to You is filled with superior obscurities taken from Don Sickler's Second Floor Music publications Sing Jazz and Sing More Jazz. Many of the songs, written by jazz musicians, received their recording debut (particularly as vocals) on this set, including numbers by John Oddo, Hank Mobley, Jon Burr, Renee Rosnes, and the late James Williams. Cooper does a fine job of adding warmth to the lyrics, also playing piano in the backup group, which on some numbers is a full sextet featuring excellent trumpet solos from Sickler.