The Pennsylvania-based duo, singer Joanie Samra, and arranger Jesse Green, bring to life American pop standards by Gillespie, Coots, Gimbel, Weinstein, Porter, Arlen, Hamilton, Lennon, Streisand, Bacharach, and others.  The easy listening style of Joanie’s classy vocals conjures up images of a smoky jazz club.  Jesse’s duties are not only reserved for arranging, as the piano, keyboards, bass, percussion, and synth instruments in his hands strike a perfect balance of jazz, pop standard, and classy repertoires. 

“You Go To My Head” opens with a jaunty piano tune and Joanie’s jazzy doo-doo vocals command attention.  The vocals and piano are superimposed over the jazzy and tinny percussion with light drum accompaniment in parts.  The piano plays a large part in melody creation during the latter half of the song.  Though, the tinny cymbals, rustle of the bass drum, and dreamy atmosphere of the song makes it warm and cozy. 

“Fever” begins with finger-snaps and a bluesy upright bass line.  Joanie’s vocals shine through in a stark contrast to the relatively subdued instrumentation.  The piano appears with a sweeping melody, but it is punchy in spots to match the jaunty upright bass and finger-snap sounds.  “So Nice (Summer Samba)” starts with a brushy percussion beat and twinkling, harp-like adornment that delves right into a bossa nova song with Joanie’s South American vocal ambiance and choppy percussion with sparkling keyboard embellishments close in-tow.  The smooth and sultry keyboard tones are characteristic of the bossa nova style popular in the 1970s.  The Valle/Gimbel tune is very fitting for Joanie and Jesse’s musical style. 

“Broadway Medley” showcases Joanie’s vocal virtuosity with a ten-minute medley of three songs: “Send In The Clowns” by Sondheim, “Memory” by Webber/Nunn, and “The Music Of The Night” by Webber/Hart.  The medley showcases Joanie’s vocal abilities with solo piano accompaniment.  There are no other instruments used throughout the medley. Joanie’s classy vocals are at times operatic, but primarily lounge jazz or pop standard material. 

“Lullaby of Birdland” starts out with a peppy jazz line full of percussion, piano, and Joanie’s jazz scat that is infectious, clear, and full of energy.  The jaunty piano playing is inflected with burst of upright bass energy and tinny, swishy percussion that only intensifies the musical melee overall.  “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” begins with a dreamy piano sequence and Joanie’s tender, yet mature vocals lead the charge.  The iconic song is basically performed by vocal and piano accompaniment without additional instrumentation.  The lack of other instrumentation does not lessen the musical significance of the song.  In fact, Joanie and Jesse stay true to the original melody and song structure, but clearly showcase a bit of jazzy pop standard qualities along the way. 

Joanie Samra and Jesse Green’s Serendipity is a splendid album of nineteen cover songs spanning the gamut of American pop standards and classic compositions popular in American society from the mid-1900s onwards.  There is plenty of room for jazz, lounge, pop, and Latin comparisons that shine throughout.  The piano melodies are diverse and engaging, while Joanie’s vocals change tone depending on the moment or song qualities.  Jesse’s song arrangements and instrumentation are top-notch, too.  However, anyone seeking original pop standards should look elsewhere.  Though, Joanie and Jesse make the cover songs their own.  “So Nice (Summer Samba),” “Alfie,” “Cry Me A River,” “I Will Only Have Eyes For You,” “In My Life,” and “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” are only some of the iconic and unforgettable, endearing songs ever to be created that are presented here. 

Review by Matthew Forss
Rating: 5 Stars (out of 5)
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