Like all of the most alluring singers, as well as women, Gabrielle Stravelli shows on this album that less is always more. She demonstrates this with the barest of support bringing in only pianist Michael Kanan and bassist Pat O’Leary for the swinging atmosphere, while her vocal style, like the best of outfits, shines with the minimum of attire.
If the vocal world were akin to Archie Comics, Gabrielle would be a “Betty” as opposed to the high maintenance of “Veronica”, the cozy girl next door you’d take home to mom. Her style has that bebop inflection and clarity reminiscent of Anita O’Day, but with a bit more huskiness, cozy on “Did I Remember” , swinging easy with a trumpet like tone on “You Say You Care” and bluesy on “Messin’ Around”. She shines on a couple of themed medleys, with Kanan supplying a lovely rice pilaf of notes as a bedding fro “Day Dream/You Stepped Out of a Dream” and sitting on the couch with her arm around you on “Let’s Begin/I’m Beginning To See The Light”. She coos in your ear around O’Leary’s bass on “June Night” and bounces with joy for “So Far So Good” with an optimistic twinkle in the eye. When’s she hitting LA?