Although
Judi Silvano shows that she can sing words beautifully, the emphasis on this adventurous set (her debut as a leader) is on her wordless vocalizing. With the assistance of guitarist
Vic Juris, bassist
Drew Gress, drummer
Bob Meyer, and sometimes her husband
Joe Lovano (on tenor and, on one tune, drums), trumpeter
Dave Ballou and
Oscar Noriega on bass clarinet and alto,
Silvano contantly challenges herself on melodies by
Billy Strayhorn ("Daydream"),
Thelonious Monk,
Charles Mingus ("Weird Nightmare"),
Duke Ellington, four of her originals, and even pieces by
Rachmaninoff,
Ravel and
Charles Ives. The treatments range from almost standard ballads to collective improvisations, and all in all, this is an impressive effort.