She’s been recording since Nelson Riddle produced her debut in 1958, and while in her 70s she doesn’t have the power that she had back then (who does?) Sue Raney more than makes up for it with the wisdom of age, able to express a lyric in a way that if intimate, heartfelt and swinging.
This recent release has her with some great company, including Shelly Markham/p, Jeff Driskill/ts-as-cl-fl, Barry Zweig/g, Kevin Axt/b and MB Gordy/dr. The tunes center around standards, but she also throws in a couple ringers such as Mel Brooks’ “Till Him” from The Producers that is a playful gem. She knows how to introduce a tune like a pro, delivering a gentle vibrato before bringing the band in for a luscious read of “At Last” while drawing you in with allure on “It Amazes Me.” She teams up with Zweig for a rich read of “ My Ideal” and sounds slinky and world wise on “The Second Time Around “ and “Your Are Not My First Love.” She can sound convincingly whimsical on “Something New In My Life” and is able to reach both high and low notes to make the song sound expressive but not strained on”On My Way To You.” No real gymnastics here, just stories being told like they’re supposed to be.
Fresh Sound Records