Halie Loren, Butterfly Blue (Justin Time)
With a subdued manner and undercurrents of strong feeling, the Oregon singer ranges across a dozen songs of varying genres. Among them are standards by the Gershwins, Harold Arlen, Cole Porter, Charles Trenet and Harry Warren; a Horace Silver classic; and three impressive compositions of her own. She unifies the pieces with a rhythmic pulse, musicianly phrasing and the subtlety of a slight terminal vibrato on note endings. Her “Danger in Loving You†and a gospel treatment of Sarah Masen’s “Carry Us Through†have qualities that could send them onto soul charts. Accompanied by piano, bass and baritone saxophone, she scats half a chorus of “Our Love Is Here To Stay,†exhibiting an understanding of the chords, a trait not rampant among scat singers. With conviction, Ms. Loren delivers the message of Silver’s “Peace,†whose unidentified lyricist deserves credit.