Chicago’s celebrated jazz label Southport Records is back in the limelight in 2024 with April & Joanie Sing! a 14-track, 55 minute CD release featuring Joanie Pallatto and fellow Chicagoan April Aloisio. Two gifted singer-songwriters, Joanie and April go back some 40+ years and April has released several albums of her own, including some for Joanie’s label Southport Records over the past 30 years.

With the album starting off with a near acapella cover of the 1966 Cream classic “I Feel Free”, featuring the shared vocals and harmonies of Joanie and April, April & Joanie Sing! is the perfect showcase for the duo’s fondness for musical collaboration and a shared affinity for great songwriting.

Following the Cream cover, April & Joanie Sing! goes on to spotlight unique covers of classics written by song-writing greats including the Gershwin brothers (“It Ain’t Necessarily So”), George Harrison (“While My Guitar Gently Weeps”), Michael Franks (“Antonio’s Song”) and other favorites, including tracks penned Joanie’s partner at Southport, Bradley Parker-Sparrow, jazz legend Frank Foster, Hermeto Pascoal and more.

Musically, an impressive range of supporting musicians appear and they’re all listed in the CD booklet liner notes. Harmonica legend Howard Levy adds keyboards while guitar ace Fareed Haque adds in his inventive acoustic guitar skills, notably on the CD-opening Cream cover and the Beatles tribute. Another highlight is the 3-part “Sparrow Suite”, composed by flamenco guitarist Tomas de Utrera, with lyrics to "Little Sparrow (Gorrion)" by Joanie Pallatto.

Many of the tracks here with April and Joanie are taken from earlier albums on Southport featuring April and Joanie back in the mid to late 1990s, along with several from April’s solo albums and they seem to fit in well with the newer songs as the listener is glided easily through the 14-track, 55-minute CD.

A dazzling and dreamlike collection of smartly composed songs interpreted by two stylish singers, April & Joanie Sing! never fails to amaze the listener with its range of chosen song classics, each filled with impeccable vocal harmonies, impressive musicianship and lasting melodies.