Hummin' To Myself
What is it about erstwhile '60s rock stars nearing 60 that draws them to standards? Just asRod Stewarthas mined the works of Styne & Cahn and Cole Porter for his bankable (if heavy-handed)Great American Songbookseries, so, too, has Linda Ronstadt turned to pop classics in the autumn of her career. Of course, Ronstadt has been here before, having enlistedNelson Riddleto guide her through three standards collections in the '80s. WithHummin' to Myself, the peripatetic vocalist eschews the robust big-band arrangements that markedWhat's Newand its offspring for small-ensemble treatments of the likes of "Miss Otis Regrets" and "Day Dream." With eitherAlan BroadbentorWarren Bernhardtat the keys and Bob Mann,Christian McBride, andLewis Nashmaking up the rhythm section on most tracks, Ronstadt gets more than capable instrumental support from some seasoned jazz pros, and while she won't make anyone forgetElla Fitzgerald, she brings her distinctive brand of brass to "Never Will I Marry" and "Get Out of Town." Meanwhile, she eases through languid takes of "I Fall in Love Too Easily" and "Cry Me a River," the latter borrowing considerably fromJulie London's defining version, but substituting melancholy for London's playful sultriness.--Steven Stolder