CHRISTINE FAWSON, It Could Happen to You

One of the enduring pleasures of jazz is hearing a multi-talented artist take a familiar standard and reveal unexpected emotional colors and improvisational possibilities. Veteran vocalist, trumpeter and scat artist extraordinaire mines this kind of sonic magic throughout It Could Happen To You, a high spirited and often exhilarating collection that showcases both her expressive vocal artistry and bold, adventurous trumpet work – with well-placed touches of surreal scat that propel the project’s creativity into the artistic stratosphere.

Joined by the stellar rhythm section of pianist Tim Ray, bassist Dave Zinno and drummer Casey Scheuerell, Fawson puts her distinctive stamp on classics by Jimmy Van Heusen, Cole Porter, Hoagy Carmichael, Irving Berlin, Rodgers & Hart, Jerome Kern and the Gershwins. Rather than simply revisiting familiar standards, she reshapes them with clever phrasing, spontaneous twists and a joyful sense of musical conversation.

The title track immediately establishes the album’s playful aesthetic, with Fawson’s witty vocal improvisations and soaring high-register flourishes mirrored by bold trumpet excursions. On Cole Porter’s “It’s All Right with Me,” a lengthy, inventive piano solo gives way to a spirited call-and-response exchange between her vocals and muted trumpet, showcasing the easy chemistry between Fawson and Ray. Hoagy Carmichael’s “Lazybones” unfolds as a slow-burning Southern blues tale, its drawling vocal storytelling enhanced by an elegant trumpet-and-piano dialogue.

Fawson reveals a more introspective side on Irving Berlin’s wistful “What’ll I Do,” a graceful duet with Ray that highlights the darker, more vulnerable textures of her voice. Rodgers and Hart’s “My Heart Stood Still” swings with theatrical flair, opening with adventurous scat passages that blur the line between singer and horn player. “Like Someone in Love” rides a bustling New Orleans-flavored groove, featuring one of Fawson’s most explosive and percussive trumpet solos, while “You Don’t Know What Love Is” evolves from tender balladry into an unexpectedly brisk swinger fueled by expressive improvisation.

Throughout the album, Fawson balances emotional depth with infectious energy. The soulful “You’ve Changed” showcases her ballad artistry, while “I Was Doing All Right” charms with jaunty storytelling and buoyant swing. By the time she launches into the whirlwind pace of “Oh, Lady Be Good,” trading rapid-fire scat phrases with her own trumpet lines, the quartet sounds positively airborne.

The closing “Every Time We Say Goodbye” offers a gentle, heartfelt farewell, capping a collection that celebrates both the timeless brilliance of these beloved songs and Fawson’s singular ability to reinvent them. Whether singing, scatting or unleashing a spirited trumpet solo, she approaches every performance with imagination, technical mastery and irresistible joy.