Teri Thornton (Verve)
Album of the week
Hailed by one who would know—jazz legend Cannonball Adderley—as "the greatest voice since Ella Fitzgerald," Teri Thornton seemed destined for stardom when her debut album, Devil May Care, was released in 1961. But personal woes derailed her, and her star-crossed career reached its nadir last year when she underwent surgery for bladder cancer. Only months later, Thornton earned a stunning triumph by winning the Thelonious Monk Institute Vocal Competition with a show-stopping performance of "I'll Be Easy to Find," one of the emotion-laden jazz standards included, along with four equally powerful originals, on her first album in 36 years. At 65, Thornton showcases an expressive contralto that has been enriched rather than diminished by time.
Bottom Line: Steeped, splendidly, in the blues
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