A classicist in the guise of a
punk iconoclast, comedienne and Broadway star
Lea DeLaria delivers a wry mix of contemporary
pop and rock tunes -- all done in a straight-ahead
jazz style -- on Double Standards. For
jazz fans who decry the death of American Popular Song, Double Standards should be a revelation, as
DeLaria has picked a varied set of songs by such iconic artists as
Neil Young,
Green Day, and even
Jane's Addiction that wouldn't sound at all out of place in an intimate
jazz club. With a burnished, velvety voice that often recalls a mix of
Blossom Dearie and
Carmen McRae,
DeLaria is perfectly suited to a modern
jazz setting. To these ends, she turns
Blondie's "Call Me" into a slinky, minor '60s ballad; converts
No Doubt's "I'm Just a Girl" into a peppy uptempo swinger perfect for
Ella Fitzgerald; and stretches
Soundgarden's "Black Hole Sun" into an epic, meditative modal ballad that sounds like
Nina Simone covering a
John Coltrane ballad. Adding a
post-bop elegance to the proceedings are saxophonist
Seamus Blake, pianist
Gil Goldstein, bassist
Christian McBride, drummer
Bill Stewart, and others. ~ Matt Collar, All Music Guide
