Ballads

Folk-pop artist Paula Cole tackles some of jazz’s classic tunes on this album. It’s a delicate business, with many singers finding it difficult to compare to some of the greats, like Billie Holiday, but Cole succeeds with Lady Day’s “God Bless the Child,” using a hint of country twang instead of bluesy cadences. She also steps right up to the crossroads of breezy swing and early-rock rhythm when approaching Holiday’s “What a Little Moonlight Can Do.”