New on CD

'In Blue'

The underrated jazz singer Karrin Allyson enjoyed a breakthrough last year with her Grammy-nominated "Ballads: Remembering John Coltrane." She's followed that up with another impressive and imaginative session -- an eclectic collection of 13 tunes that deal with having the blues.

Allyson has a knack for freshening things up by including obscure tunes deserving wider exposure (Oscar Brown Jr.'s "Hum Drum Blues," Blossom Dearie's "Bye Bye Country Boy," Joni Mitchell's "Blue Motel Room") -- along with the more familiar (Bobby Troup's "The Meaning of the Blues"). She surrounds herself with musicians who, though not household names, are consummate jazz professionals -- her regular guitarist Danny Embrey, pianist Mulgrew Miller, bassist Peter Washington, drummer Lewis Nash and saxophonist Steve Wilson -- and the non-vocal passages stand on their own merits.

But most of all, Allyson knows what jazz singing is all about, as is evident right from the opening "Moanin'," Bobby Timmons' soulful 1950s jazz standard, where her wordless scat vocals blend right in as the lead instrument in the band. Allyson is sometimes tender ("How Long Has This Been Going On?" and "Angel Eyes"), sometimes tough ("Evil Gal Blues" and "Love Me Like a Man"), but always strikes the right chord.

'Details'

Nearly every track is a winner on "Details," Frou Frou's super-smooth debut album. Songstress Imogene Heap and veteran producer Guy Sigsworth work seamlessly to present soft vocals over engaging electronic melodies.

Heap immediately wins us over with the album's strongest offerings, "Let Go" and "Breathe In," the latter being everything that's right with electronic music production. The jaunty bass beat perfectly supports her voice on the track as she oozes with sensuality: "I'm high from all the waiting/ To ride a wave on your inhaling."

--From wire reports

Pardon me while I go listen to it eight more times.

With Sigsworth's inventive selection of tone qualities and sound snippets, "Details" is a must-have album.

'Footsteps of Our Fathers'

With masterpieces that range from John Coltrane's deeply contemplative "A Love Supreme" to Sonny Rollins' 1958 call for racial equality in "The Freedom Suite" and the bluesy bebop of Ornette Coleman's "Giggin'," "Footsteps of Our Fathers" would be a challenge for any musician. And it's one Branford Marsalis might not have attempted earlier in his career.

But now, backed by the same quartet that played on the Grammy-winning "Contemporary Jazz," Marsalis pays homage to the fathers of contemporary jazz with the confidence and poise of a mature musician.

These are more than just songs to appreciate. They are chapters in the jazz tradition played with respect and gratitude.

-- From wire service reports