Friday Night Special

Janis Siegel is a member of the vocal group the Manhattan Transfer. This 10-song set is aptly-titled, as her singing is accompanied by a quartet anchored by a Hammond organ (played by Joey DeFrancesco) with material that glides easily between jazz and sophisticated pop. The songs draw from a couple generations of writers, from Rodgers & Hart, Cy Coleman and Harold Arlen, to Bill Withers. Siegel's mellifluous voice is nicely matched with the counterpoint solos of tenor saxophonist Houston Person, making for a classic combo-and-vocalist album that breathes with the very real interplay of all involved. Producer Joel Dorn created a believable sonic setting that is at once warm and unobtrusive, capturing the intimacy of a live setting with the clarity of a studio. --David Greenberger