Based in Michigan, Sheila Landis has been a significant jazz singer since her recording debut in 1973. She is a consistently inventive scat singer and improvises constantly, even when exploring well-known standards. She has teamed up with 7-string guitarist Rick Matle a countless number of times during the past two decades. On Beautiful Things the duo performs 14 songs, including two versions of “I’m Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter.” A few of the numbers are taken from a live concert tribute to Ella Fitzgerald including an original, “When In Doubt, Make Coffee,” that is inspired by Ella’s version of “I Won’t Dance.” In addition to singing lyrics and scatting up a storm, Ms. Landis sometimes effectively imitates a trombone with her voice. Matle is quite self-sufficient as the rhythm section, augmenting his guitar playing with bass notes and engaging in plenty of spontaneous interplay with the adventurous singer, who sounds unlike anyone else. Among the highlights are “Fine Fat Daddy,” “Caravan, “Pennies From Heaven,” “In A Mellotone” and Matle’s feature on “Besame Mucho.” Beautiful Things, available from www.sheilalandis.com, is easily recommended. - Los Angeles Jazz Scene - CD Reviews

SheLan Records, whose recording stable consists solely of vocalist Sheila Landis and guitarist Rick Matle, celebrates its 20th anniversary with the latest collaboration of these two confederates on Colors of Brazil. The album is not all new, using some remixed material recorded as early as 1981. Other cuts come from the 21st annual Ford Detroit International Jazz Festival held in 2000. The duo has put together a musical potpourri made up of originals and familiar material, all with a Latin bent. Landis has long been known for her unconventional, but always ear-opening, approach to the music. One audacious track is "What a Difference a Day Made," not done the way Dinah Washington sang it. With a throbbing Latin beat provided by Matle plus quartet and driven by Dennis Sheridan's Latin percussion, Landis inserts bird calls, wordless vocalizing, and assorted other cries between the lyrics. On this one, she takes no prisoners. Standards are not spared from the inventive approach taken by Landis/Matle and friends. "Summertime" is an up-tempo South of the Border romp with Scott Petersen laying out significant licks on the soprano sax. "The Girl From Ipanema" is done in three languages -- Portuguese, English, and scat -- as Landis improvises, changing the phrasing and timing to suit her perception of this classic, and again, it's not the way Ella Fitzgerald sang it. Only a singer who has supreme self-assurance in her artistry and technical skills can get away doing these off the beaten track arrangements. As the session moves along, it becomes more and more obvious that Landis is perfectly confident that she can be on the mark with any note or any form of vocalizing, anytime she wants. Highly recommended. Dave Nathan