Sylvia Brooks was born in Miami to a jazz pianist (Don Ippolito) and an opera singer (Johanna Dordick). She began her career working in the theatre in New York, moved to Los Angeles, and since 2009 has been singing jazz-oriented music. Signature is her fourth recording.
This set is different than her previous recordings in that Ms. Brooks composed seven of the nine selections, also performing one number apiece by Melody Gardot and Leonard Cohen. Some of the music stretches beyond jazz into other areas. The rap on “Red Velvet Rope” by Perro Lou is unfortunate and “The Boy That Lived There” is pop. But most of the other selections are either superior ballads (her rendition of Gardot’s “Your Heart Is As Black As Night” is one of the highlights) or medium-tempo ruminations.