Like peers Dinah Washington and Tony Bennett, vocal diva Nancy Wilson confidently straddles the divide between jazz and pop. Born in 1937 in Chillicothe, Wilson recorded with jazz legends Cannonball Adderley and George Shearing, scored a string of pop hits (including one produced by Philly soul wizards Gamble and Huff), hosted a television variety show in the mid-'60s, and made guest appearances on such shows as
Hawaii Five-0 and
The Parkers.
Like fine wine, Wilson just gets better with age; her latest, Turned to Blue, serves as both a superb jazz offering and what hep cats from the '50s used to call a "late-night smooch" album, with Wilson's sultry, supple phrasing adorned by ace soloists Jimmy Heath and James Moody. For this performance, however, she's swingin' with Cleveland State's Jazz Heritage Orchestra.
