Technique and elegance

by Jim Trageser
This review first appeared in the November 27, 2007 issue of the North County Times.

San Diego's Fran Hartshorn is a first-rate jazz singer of the old school. Her debut CD shows a vocalist of superb range, great warmth and elegant interpretative taste. She runs through a set of standards fronting a straight-ahead jazz trio that generally does an expert job of framing her bell-like voice.

At times, the trio (pianist Jaeryoung Lee, bassist Danny Weller and drummer Kevin Koch, of Fattburger) steps over Hartshorn's vocals, and at others ("Let's Fall in Love") her own improvisation wanders a bit far from the theme.

But with material like "Prelude to a Kiss," "How High the Moon," "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To" and others of similar vintage, Hartshorn doesn't miss often. With a little inconcistency her only shortcoming on a very solid debut, local jazzheads are going to be wondering when her next disc will come out.