New Orleans-born LaVerne Butler's voice exudes an established confidence and impeccable taste. Eschewing scatological pyrotechnics, she relies instead on nuances, caressing syllables and imbuing all sorts of speculative meaning into rests in a most sensuous, though never sensationalistic, way. With her accompanist-Music Director Bruce Barth, LaVerne turns her attentions to a group of standards and jazz tunes that highlight not just her sexy ribbon of a voice, but which also give her accompanying quartet plenty of space to show their wares.
