Album Of My Memory (Music Thoughts: Mel Searle, Serenade In Blue)

Mel Searle is a relatively new jazzette from the Melbourne area and I searched the internet for information about her, and can't find much. I chanced upon her album, "Serenade In Blue," and thought it was pretty good.  Sure, it's not the most original thing in the world (her scat intro on "Blue Skies" is a note for note recreation of Ella's) but there is great energy here, and she has a great sense of rhythm. She skews more jazz singer than lyric interpreter, and there's nothing wrong with that if that is more your speed. The repertoire could use a little more imagination, though she does two songs from "The Sound Of Music" and that is not as common. (The jazzy version of "the Sound Of Music" borders on camp, though) Still, there's a somewhat green talent here and if she gets more mindful of her excesses, she could turn out to be a much more sensitive singer.