One of the most prolific songwriters of the 1960s and 1970s, Jimmy Webb wrote songs that became standards. A number of them were massive hits for artists including The 5th Dimension, Glen Campbell, Art Garfunkel, Donna Summer and, much later, for Linda Ronstadt, among many others. Gay singer Michael Feinstein even had a go at Webb on his album Only One Life: The Songs of Jimmy Webb. Webb himself has had a lengthy recording career, beginning after others had recorded songs of his such as "Up, Up and Away," "Wichita Lineman," "All I Know" and "MacArthur Park." Webb revisited a number of his most popular songs, accompanying himself on piano, on 1996's exceptional Ten Easy Pieces disc. His latest, Still Within the Sound of My Voice (eOne), revisits some of those songs, this time as duets with a stellar cast of guest artists singing with Webb. A talented pianist and songwriter but not known for being a great singer, Webb partners with some who are, including Carly Simon ("Easy for You To Say"), Art Garfunkel ("Shattered"), Rumer ("Still Within the Sound of My Voice"), and David Crosby and Graham Nash ("If These Walls Could Speak").
Gloria Estefan doesn't appear to have recorded any Jimmy Webb songs, but it wouldn't be a bad idea if she did. Just imagine what she could do with "By the Time I Get to Phoenix," for example. We don't have to wonder what Estefan would do with a set of older tunes now that she has released The Standards (Sony Music Latin/Masterworks). Turning her attention to the Gershwins ("They Can't Take That Away from Me," "Embraceable You," "How Long Has This Been Going On") and other composers known for their significant contributions to the American Songbook, Estefan proves she has the chops to embrace the material with respect and affection, taking her place alongside Linda Ronstadt, Carly Simon, Natalie Cole and others who have trod a similar path.
Of course, before Estefan tried her hand at the genre, the inimitable Sarah Vaughan was one of the torchbearers, one of the grand dames. Sophisticated Lady: The Duke Ellington Songbook Collection (Pablo/Concord) compiles a pair of Vaughan's late-1970s Ellington songbook albums, along with some previously unreleased material. Just to hear Vaughan's rendition of "Lush Life," co-written by Ellington and his openly gay collaborator Billy Strayhorn, makes this compilation worthwhile, not to mention her readings of "Sophisticated Lady," "I Got It Bad (and That Ain't Good)" and "Prelude to a Kiss."
With the exception of the oft-covered "River," the overgrown "teens" on Glee have managed to avoid abusing Joni Mitchell too badly. Having already focused their voices on albums dedicated to the songs of Madonna and those from The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Grease , the Glee cast now attacks the Fab Four on Glee Sings the Beatles (Columbia). Instead of applying the same kind of energy and enthusiasm to Journey as the Glee club did on the first soundtrack disc, they play it surprisingly safe on the 14 tracks here. There are a couple of exceptions, as on the harder-rocking "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" and the gleeful choral treatment of "Let It Be."
Speaking of Joni, it's difficult not to wish that musicians and singers would look beyond her landmark album Blue when it comes to choosing from her wealth of songs to interpret. That said, New West Guitar Group does a sweet job with Joni's "All I Want" from their album Big City (Summit). That song is one of four covers, including Tears for Fears' "Everybody Wants To Rule the World," Simon & Garfunkel's "Bleecker St." and the Police's "Wrapped Around Your Finger," performed by the guitar trio (Perry Smith, Jeff Stein and John Storie). The remaining originals, including "Proud Days Work" and "Inspiration Point," are also well worth your time.
If songs by Tears for Fears and the Police are becoming standards in their own right, there's no reason why the same thing can't happen for the work of Icelandic pop goddess Bjork. With that in mind, Travis Sullivan's Bjorkestra returns with I Go Humble (Zoho). Sullivan describes his arrangements of Bjork's compositions as a "tribute to the uncompromising, visionary and bold work of one of the most important artists of the late 20th and early 21st century." Not surprisingly, you can feel the love throughout this intimate live album. From the way that Becca Stevens' vocals respectfully don't try to duplicate Bjork to the way the arrangements easily find and format the jazz rhythms within, Sullivan and company offer us a new way to experience these familiar tunes, such as "Army of Me."