The Bonaventure Quartet

The Secret Seduction of the Grand Pompadour is a velvety concept album cut from a different cloth than anything the Bonaventure Quartet has done before. The group straddles a baroque in-between area of smooth, continental jazz and secretly torchy tendencies for a release that's pure mood. Vocalist Amy Pike is as classy as she wants to be, as she gives a warm, romantic hue to the album's subtler moments. Her moonlit croon carries a sense of innocence and allure to "The Scene of You," while bestowing "The World's Greatest Lover" with a frolicsome air.

There's no denying that it's an essential BVQ offering. It is its most accomplished work to date that uses shades of klezmer sounds and a gypsy jangle to add flavor to a timeless and tasteful jazz palette. 5 stars.