IN THE TRADITION OF THE GREAT JAZZ SINGERS

When Ashley Pezzotti sings, it will only take a few notes for listeners new to her manner to gratefully discover that their ears will be caressed, rather than assaulted, by her timbre and talents. Some vocalists whose main asset is being long on loveliness and legato lines can risk having a sweet-toned set that seems like too much sugar and not enough spice, but that’s not the case with this smooth, in-control performer. With sometimes more of a “less is more†approach, she can thrill without overkill or getting shrill, deliver a knockout show without being a show-off. Yes, she can deftly bend notes to her will, use melisma with skill, and certainly swings, scats, sails and soars through the scales with strength, sustaining notes. Even when belting, the sound never becomes harsh or brittle. Ashley Pezzotti, in her mid-20s, interacts well with her musicians and appears to be genuinely, joyfully digging their work during instrumental breaks. The trio— pianist Michael Kanen, bassist Marty Jaffe, and drummer Max Marsillo – are splendid throughout and garner much applause of their own for solos.

Her Birdland set on July 5 began with two standards introduced in Broadway shows and covered over the decades by so many jazz singers and this made it clear that she was honoring the tradition without being tepid, following in legendary footsteps without stumbling. The choices were 1943’s “Speak Low (When You Speak, Love)†– a convenient opportunity to take the title’s cue to go for subtle and hushed singing, emphasizing attractive low notes – and the 1930 ballad by George and Ira Gershwin, “But Not for Me.†She included the introductory verse which references an advice-to-the-lovelorn newspaper columnist dating back to 1898 (“Beatrice Fairfax, don’t you dare ever tell me he will careâ€), but substitutes the name of her fine pianist, and the two exchange smiles. Another classic by the Gershwins pops up in short order, the yearning “Someone to Watch Over Me,†and again she makes a cute substitution in the verse, modernizing the line (but keeping its rhyme with the word “lambâ€) by replacing “my monogram†with “my Instagram.†The switch in the 99-year-old lyric gets an appreciative chuckle from the 2025 audience.

Pezzotti also does some songwriting of her own – so, mixed in with the well-traveled classics are examples of her original work. One features a Spanish lyric. Another, addressed to an ex, has some catharsis with anger; she sets up this piece in the set by telling us, “This is a tune I wrote about a stupid boy.†Some of her lyrics are diminished by an over-reliance on false rhymes. Other numbers use basic rhymes and cut to the chase effectively (“I loved him so/ But he’s gotta goâ€).

In one case, audience participation was requested and delivered by some, with enthusiasm, to echo her repeated main phrase “I’m not ready†with “She’s not ready.†All in good fun. The singer, perhaps eager to have more connection with the crowd, peppers them with questions when she mentions something in her patter. Dropping the name of something she caught on Netflix, she asks “Does anyone know it?â€

Informing the folks that she first became aware of particular songs she was about to launch into via the recording of two major singers — Carmen McRae and Dinah Washington – she asks for an audible response as to whether or not attendees are also familiar with their interpretations. This can be unwise, as it can put those ladies’ distinct stylings in mind, inviting distracting comparisons to legends. Barbra Streisand’s name isn’t uttered before the positivity-packed Pezzotti rendition of the star’s indelible early-career signature “Happy Days Are Here Again†but there’s no mistaking the homage/influence/blueprint in general tempo and treatment. It’s offered as a mood-elevating hope for a reason for hope, in response to “everything going on in the world.†From the same decade (the 1920s), another reach for happiness, “Sometimes I’m Happy,†is actually more impressive, evidencing an easy, breezy personalization, with terrific scat-singing, accompanied by the bass player.

The polished Pezzotti is a pro who pleases with panache. In the crowded field of so many young singers tackling the old standards and more, in keeping with jazz traditions, she’s a keeper.

Ashley Pezzotti
Birdland, 315 West 44th St
reviewed on July 5 at 5:30
for more Ashley, visit, well, Ashley