A very capable Dinner Jazz sound from US based Geneva-born singer Anaïs Reno (born 2003) on a standards strewn presentation - the clue to it suiting that much later specific Jazz FM championed genre in its Helen Mayhew first heyday is given by the title Irving Berlin's 'Supper Time' itself. Ethel Waters introduced the song in 1933 on Broadway in the music theatre revue As Thousands Cheer. Vocals versions down the years have included treatments by Ella Fitzgerald, Audra McDonald and the most recent of these, by Roberta Gambarini.

Reno had already debuted as a 16-year-old with Lovesome Thing. Here it is pianist Pete Malinverni - who for many years was Minister of Music at the African-American Devoe Street Baptist Church in Brooklyn - offering impactful support. UK double bass great Dave Green who is also on PX appearing on the label's first release last year known for his tenure in Scott Hamilton's UK band is also on the record as is the Stacey Kent luminary drummer Josh Morrison who on a 2023 release contributed noteworthily on Nick Costley-White's Nice Work!

We liked the slower number, Billy Joel's 'And So It Goes,' best, a track that comes at the end of the album, Malinverni taking it up quite a few keys higher than you might know it from Storm Front. A coincidence in this preference because Joel song, and his first release in many years 'Turn the Lights Back On' has been an earworm with us in recent weeks and we are listening to it once again as we finish off typing this piece. The standards choices are also pretty OK. A new version of 'The Girl From Ipanema,' however, decent and all it is, and it is, we can do without right now.

Anaïs Reno, photo: TradePhotographer