Not Just Another Pretty Bass

Bassist and singer Jim Ferguson is undoubtedly a minority: people who sing and play an instrument in the jazz world are very few and far between. They might sell a whole lot of CDs (think Diana Krall and Harry Connick Jr., if not 1998's surprise breakthrough Patricia Barber), but there aren't a lot of instrument-handling crooners about. Ferguson is even odder, playing acoustic bass while singing. But he's a wonder. He holds a great Southern-tinged voice, something that alternately echoes Lyle Lovett in its inflections, Mose Allison in its phrase shapes, and a mix of Mel Torme and Chet Baker in its moods. The tunes Ferguson calls denote the chain of influence (note Allison's "Swingin' Machine" and the "The Real Thing," coauthored by Torme and accorded Baker collaborator Gerry Mulligan), with swing pervading the CD as a shade rather than a full color, a vibe rather than a frank rhythm. Tenor saxophonist Chris Potter is in great form, caressing his phrases rather than bolting them to the floor. If it's a fine croon set into a slender jazz quartet context that you're after, check this out. --Andrew Bartlett