Five reasons why you should see Amy Cervini:
1 She’s a model citizen
When she’s not onstage, Toronto-born local jazz singer Amy Cervini helps to boost the careers of other artists. We’re always happy to follow her tips, but she deserves her own share of the spotlight.
2 She’s got great taste
Digging Me Digging You, Cervini’s latest LP, celebrates the career and canon of Blossom Dearie, an eternally hip forebear. Cervini’s personal oeuvre extends from songbook staples to Willie Nelson and Fiona Apple.
3 She’s got talented friends
Cervini surrounds herself with sensitive players who enhance her buoyant style without cramping it. At this show, her band includes sax star Joel Frahm, for example.
4 She’s thinking about the future
Her conventional sets are as sophisticated as any grown-up might want, but Cervini has a sideline in gigs meant to introduce kids to jazz. (The next one’s on Sept 29.)
5 She’s playing the 55 Bar
Cervini’s got enough style and verve to fill an auditorium, but her usual habitat is this cozy Greenwich Village dive bar, where everything feels up close and personal.—Steve Smith
Follow Steve Smith on Twitter: @nightafternight