" data-original-title="" title="">Tish Oney, she surrounded herself in the trappings of traditionally sized jazz combos, but on Sweet Youth she eschews safety in numbers for the nowhere-to-hide texture of voice and guitar. This baker's dozen of standards and original songs dispels any doubts that the recently doctored Oney (University of Southern California, Jazz Studies) is better suited to academic settings rather than the recording studio. The artful playfulness of her scatting on several tunes (highlighted on "Waltz for Ellie") demonstrates a well-conceived sense of melodic improvisation while the soft ballads ("Sweet Youth") are a pleasant delight. And through them all, the tempo and groove are communicated by Oney's keen sense of phrasing that reveals a deep appreciation for the vocal jazz idiom. Although another soloist, such as saxophone or bass, would have injected timbral variety, their absence does not create a distraction that can't be offset by the clever arrangements and use of open space.

Special attention should also go to guitarist