February 13, 2010

No stranger to musical experimentation, Dee Dee Bridgewater mixed jazz with West African rhythms on her 2007 multicultural expedition "Red Earth: A Malian Journey." She brings the same no-holds-barred approach to her latest project, "Eleanora Fagan (1915-1959): To Billie With Love From Dee Dee," a tribute to jazz pioneer Billie Holiday. But this is more than just a covers album. Bridgewater digs beneath the darkness and pain associated with Holiday's music, delivering a joyful take on—and deeper respect for—her predecessor's strengths as a vocalist and songwriter. The usual and not-so-usual suspects from Holiday's legacy are here (including "Good Morning Heartache" and "God Bless the Child"). However, they're infused with new arrangements (courtesy of Bridgewater's longtime bandmate Edsel Gomez) that shed a modern light on Holiday's work. For example, "Lady Sings the Blues" swings to life through its fusion of African polyrhythms; "Lover Man" shines with a sexy, sassy sheen; and "Miss Brown to You" gets a feisty makeover. Pulling it all together are Bridgewater's expressive, unrestricted vocals—especially riveting on the sparsely arranged, racism-themed "Strange Fruit."—Gail Mitchell

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