by Ken DrydenAnn Hampton Callaway came to jazz through a background in cabaret. The rich-voiced alto has a touch of vibrato which she uses effectively. With a fine rhythm section consisting of pianist Ted Rosenthal, bassist Jay Leonhart, and drummer Victor Lewis, she mines the treasures of the Great American Songbook with a personal touch, showing off with a bit of effective scatting in What Is This Thing Called Love, and delivering a playful Comes Love that is complemented by Wycliffe Gordon's gritty, muted trombone, along with a suitably dreamy Lazy Afternoon. Callaway has a few surprises in store as well. She masters Chick Corea's demanding Spain with ease while she uncovers On My Way to You, a forgotten gem by Michel Legrand with lyrics by Marilyn & Alan Bergman. She proves herself to be a talented songwriter with the soft bossa nova Save a Place for Me and the heartfelt Finding Beauty, both of which add guitarist Rodney Jones and Latin percussionist Emedin Rivera. There are some misfires. Joni Mitchell's quirky Carey is an ill fit with the rest of the album, while the dull, narrow range of rocker Stevie Nicks' Landslide simply doesn't suit Callaway's rich voice. But these tracks are minor glitches in an otherwise outstanding release.