New York-based vocalist/writer Suzanne Lorge releases Dark Sky, Waiting, the conceptual follow-on to her debut jazz album, Wild Birds. On this latest addition to her growing body of recordings with premier jazz musicians, Suzanne embraces the beauty of American popular song from the latter part of the 20th century.

As our understanding of romantic love changes—both collectively and personally—so does our relationship to these neo-classic tunes. Today, instead of assuming that we know these songs’ protagonists and what they want, we can wonder about them, opening our imaginations to the boundless number of ways in which we can connect with each other.

The album’s message finds full expression in the poetic verse that gives the album its title. Spoken as an intro to the Lennon/McCartney ballad “Because,” these words invoke the deep awe that we humans feel when we gaze upon the “dark sky”—those rare spots on earth that remain free from manmade light. In those places, the profusion of stars is so great that we are left, as Suzanne writes, “unable to count.”

The title track is itself something of a dark sky: Against the background of a rich habanera groove, Suzanne and her stellar rhythm section glitter all the brighter. Together, the album’s bandleader/pianist/arranger John DiMartino, bassist Yoshi Waki, and drummer/percussionist Vince Cherico create an etheric mood that complements the simple profundity of the Beatles’ lyrics.

The Rodger’s & Hart standard, “It Never Entered My Mind,” opens the album. With this track, John alludes to Bill Evans’ sophisticated pianism in framing the tune’s gorgeous melody, so well-suited to Suzanne’s naturally expressive voice and Warren Vaché’s dynamic soloing. The versatile singer brings this same sensitivity to the second track, “And So It Goes,” one of singer-songwriter Billy Joel’s most overlooked masterstrokes, arranged as a touching air in ¾ featuring Brazilian guitarist Wesley Lima de Amorim and oboist Aaron Heick.

Suzanne continues to show her preference for songs awash with meaning on Burt Bacharach/Hal David’s “Alfie,” a 1960s hit that contains some of the best stanzas ever written about the transformative power of love. Warren Vaché captures the strength and pathos of these words in his earnest solo—matched by Suzanne’s gentle take on this pop classic.

Changing gears, Suzanne embraces the shifting tonality of “Pannonica,” the album’s second standard, in a simple trio rendering that gives primacy of place to Thelonious Monk’s ticklish melody, which John transmutes masterfully into a solo improvisation.

As with the title track, Suzanne and John again explore strophic forms—chorus-less songs that necessarily focus on the lyrics’ narrative—on two of the albums’ standout singer-songwriter tracks. Suzanne’s strengths as an interpreter of dramatic material are on full display on Jacques Brel’s “Sons Of,” a poignant midcentury chanson that conjures the forgotten promise of long-past youth. And the subtle sway of the bossa on Ewan MacColl’s “The First Time (Ever I Saw Your Face)” only enhances this tune’s tender notion of a timeless attraction—here, youthful promise finds fulfillment in an enduring bond.

Total Running Time: 32 minutes