" data-original-title="" title="">Beverley Beirne may not be a familiar name to many American readers. Maybe she should be. While some jazz writers have labelled her a "rising star," the Yorkshire, UK, singer has been around for a decade. Her first recording was entitled, promisingly enough, Jazz Just Wants to Have Fun (Self Produced, 2018).

Sometimes reading reviews of singers can put you in mind of studying observations from an oenophile journal: "She has notes of Ella embedded in a complex, smoky alto." That Yorkshire must be some terroir, because Ms Beirne not only has fun, but makes you think, even if that is not her primary intent. Her voice and style invite analysis, not in any stuffy way, but how often does a really intriguing cabaret singer come along? Some listeners may have heard her in Pizza Express in London, a great, cozy venue. With any luck, post-Covid, more will have the chance. Her style is intimate, linear, legato; she fairly breathes the lyrics, but not in any melodramatic way. There is something old school about Beirne, but not old-fashioned. Even better, her band plays in a contrasting style. Overall, Dream Dancer is a rewarding experience, one that repays careful listening.

Beirne's rendition of "Let's Face the Music and Dance" is matter of fact, here you have it, a la