The ninth solo album by Janis Siegel -- an accomplished leader who is nevertheless most famous for her membership in the vocal jazz quartet Manhattan Transfer -- is something that you almost certainly never saw coming: a collection of modern ... Full Descriptionpop songs arranged in an assortment of Latin styles. Gimmicky? Willfully bizarre? Amazingly enough, it's neither. Siegel's strong, supple voice and her consummate taste allow her to bring something new and often subtly complex to every song, without indulging in unnecessary weirdness. Granted, her gifts aren't always sufficient to redeem mediocre material: Björk's "Hidden Place" gives her very little melodic substance to work with, and it makes for an unpromising opening track. But her take on Nellie McKay's "The Suitcase Song" is much more exciting, and the multi-layered Cuban percussion on "I Can't Help It" is brilliant. Even better is the Colombian harp solo on her rendition of Suzanne Vega's "Caramel," and the multi-tracked background vocals on her arrangement of Paul Simon's "Love" are breathtaking. There are many more such moments on this exceptionally fine album. Strongly recommended to jazz and pop fans alike.

1Hidden Place7:41
2The Suitcase Song
Written-By  Nellie Marie McKay*
3:38
3I Can't Help It6:00
4Caramel
Written-By  Suzanne Vega
5:30
5A Thousand Beautiful Things
Written-By  Ann Lennox*
8:00
6A Wish (Valentine)
Written-By  Fred Hersch, Norma Winstone
4:33
7Love
Written-By  Paul Simon
5:51
8Make It Better
Written-By  Raul Midón
4:56
9... Till Then1:39
10Sweet Is The Air
Written-By  Dave Noble
4:34
11Reflecting Light
Written-By  Leslie A. Phillips*
3:58
12Did You See The Moon Tonight?
Written-By  Erin Moran