Audrey Morris: Look at Me Now (Audiophile)
If there is a female jazz singer working today who reads a lyric more knowingly or sensitively than Chicagoan Audrey Morris, she has yet to make herself known. A local treasure by any standard, Morris reaffirms her place at the pinnacle of seasoned singer-pianists with utterly unaffected, haunting readings of standards such as “Oh, Look at Me Now” and “Why Try to Change Me Now?” The soft and reedy quality of Morris’ vocals, the ease and elegance of her pianism and the congenial accompaniments of bassist Nick Schneider and drummer Greg Sergo make this a recording that cannot help but caress the ear. Beneath its soft-spoken surface, however, Morris’ most recent opus says a great deal about life, love and the artistry of a sublime Chicago musician.
