Ev'rything's Made for Love

Barbara Rosene has managed the difficult task of creating her own musical identity in songs of the 1920s. Although a good portion of the tunes on this CD are associated with Annette Hanshaw, Rosene sounds very much like herself, displaying her own personal tone and phrasing. She swings lightly and gives the right emphasis to the lyrics during an easily enjoyable set filled with obscurities and just a handful of standards. The personnel and instrumentation constantly change from song-to-song with Rosene joined by up to eight pieces, taking a few numbers with just one or two players behind her, and sitting out on three instrumentals. Although most of the backup players (other than trumpeter Jon-Erik Kellso and drummer John Gill) aren't particularly well-known, they know this idiom very well and give the singer tasteful accompaniment and concise solos in the style of the late 1920s. This set is recommended to fans of classic jazz, all of whom should know the name of Barbara Rosene, one of the top 1920s-style singers around in the early 21st century.