Jazz vocalist, pianist, actor Isabella Isherwood’s debut album, The Sweetest Sounds, features her carefully cultivated, expressive alto ideally suited to the classics and contemporary material she’s chosen to present her vocal radiance.  With a stripped down approach that is very accessible, the 23-year-old singer is joined by three outstanding Chicago musicians, guitarist Mike Allemana, bassist Joe Policastro, and drummer Alejandro Salazar. A spare setting of her voice with only drums on “Till There Was You” is rather unique, and her warm, conversational style on “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right” is affable and self-assured. She takes on “My Buddy” with just her own piano accompaniment, and Thelonious Monk’s “’Round Midnight” is performed with only bass support. When joined with the full complement of her accompaniment, the smarter, tuneful standout tracks on this auspicious debut make their appearance. These include the up-tempo “The Song Is You,” swinging “Teach Me Tonight,” and “I Love Here Being with You.” At the same time, beautifully melancholic moments of “Time Heals Everything” and sweet wistful remembrances of “Love is a Losing Game” also give the album a distinctly understated, thoughtful, delicate and intimate mood. (Joe Ross, Roots Music Report)