Abbey Lincoln: Throw It Away (2006)

Throw it Away is Lincolns best-known composition, and has gradually become a jazz standard. But nobody sings it like Lincoln. This is not your typical cabaret fare the lyrics have more in common with a zen koan than Tin Pan Alley. And the melody sounds more like a folk song than a jazz tune. But in an age of conformism, we are grateful for such transgressions. Yet there is more to celebrate here --namely that Lincoln, at age 76, is still performing at a very high level. On this recent Verve release, she shows that she can bring a fresh perspective to a song she has been singing for decades. Goldsteins accordion work deserves special mention too.