Finally

The title of Finally is meant to be taken literally—it’s been 11 years since Julian Fleisher’s last solo album, Rather Big. The stars aligned, and Fleisher and his longtime collaborators selected from the songs that concert audiences had grown to love and request. Unlike the Rather Big Band, which featured a massive horn punch, Finally is largely a literate, melodic collection of songs performed with a lightness of touch. The smiling gait of “When We Grow Up” (which hails from the '70s children’s album Free to Be You and Me) features college buddy Melissa Haizlip and matches well with “Leaving the Leaving (To You),” where the singer assumes passivity and leaves the details of a breakup to the partner. The classic Duke Ellington tune “I Got It Bad (And That Ain’t Good)” stays true to his jazz roots while settling on a “leisurely” pace that’s exactly how it went down live in the studio. By the time the album reaches “Tomorrow”—yes, that “Tomorrow” from Annie—it’s as if Fleisher can get away with anything.