Vocalists who accompany themselves on piano have a distinct advantage. The two roles merge into one perfectly attuned performance roadmap. They can see the upcoming curves, speedbumps and detours long before they arrive. Comping unfolds effortlessly and with enhanced lucidity. Clearly, there’s more than intuition at play when the same musician covers both bases. The
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Two particularly rewarding takes come from a surprising source: Hollywood of the 1960s and ’70s. “The Way We Were,” composed by Marvin Hamlisch for the movie of the same name, became a mega-hit for Barbra Streisand. The tune’s wistful lyrics, penned by Alan and Marilyn Bergman, are perfectly suited to DeRose’s relaxed, introspective interpretation, while the melody is enhanced by Person’s throaty tenor sax. The tempo swings harder and the trio loses all inhibitions on Henry Mancini’s “The Days of Wine and Roses,” urging more tenor magic from the 85-year-old Person. Whether tackling the leader’s originals or compositions by Miles Davis, Roger Kellaway, and Al Cohn, DeRose and her colleagues consistently deliver compelling performances that demand repeated listening. — Mark Holston