Sophie Milman

The latest young chanteuse to enchant the jazz world is Sophie Milman, whose sly and sophisticated, honey-slathered voice belies her 24 years, and more than matches her sultry looks. A Russian native who moved to Israel at age seven and then to Canada in her mid-teens, Milman has a gorgeous, multidimensional voice that landed her a recording contract after only a handful of pro gigs. Using an array of distinctive phrasing quirks, she sidles through a forest of breathy nuances on the title cut of her second album, Make Someone Happy (Linus), conjures up a requisite dose of steam on "Fever," adeptly negotiates the subtleties of bossa nova on "Reste," flexes her pop muscles on Stevie Wonder's "Rocket Love," and the Guess Who's "Undun," and even claims Kermit the Frog's signature tune "It's Not Easy Being Green" as her own with an intimate, delicate version riddled with mature emotion. Milman's been on tour with her regular quartet, which reportedly gets a wide range of instrumental latitude in concert, from swing to the brink of funk and blues.
Jan. 21-22, 7 & 9:30 p.m., 2008