People Will Say We're In Lov

Album review

Nicki Parrott and Rossano Sportiello form an intimate team on People Will Say We're in Love, delivering a long set list with no more than piano (Sportiello) and bass/vocals (Parrott). The set warms up and introduces the duo with spry instrumental takes on Tom McIntosh's "The Cup Bearers" and Sportiello's "Blues for Basie." The spare setting allows the bass to come to the forefront, allowing it equal partnership in this outing, and allowing both instruments to intertwine with one another. The first vocal choice, "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To," is a familiar one, and it would be difficult to better classic versions of this song. Parrott, however, succeeds by delivering her vocals in the same intimate manner as the instrumentals, in effect adding a third instrument to the mix. Parrott and Sportiello also keep this familiar song interesting by changing the tempo from slow to fast about a third of the way in and finally from fast to slow toward the end. Other vocal choices, including "Let's Do It (Let's Fall in Love)," "Moon River," "The Man I Love," and the title track may be too familiar, and the moods and pacing may be too similar. It's hard to argue with the results, though, and the duo does add quite a bit of variety with more upbeat instrumental choices like Sam Jones' "One for Amos." Parrott and Sportiello's performances are well-wrought and easy to like on People Will Say We're in Love, a perfect disc for a quiet afternoon with a significant other.

© Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr. /TiVo