REBECCA DUMAINE and the DAVE MILLER COMBO, Chez Nous

Musical family togetherness has never sounded as sweet, sassy, whimsical and heartfelt as it does in the freewheeling voice and hands of interpreter extraordinaire Rebecca Dumaine and her dad, George Shearing influenced pianist Dave Miller, along with his longtime working combo of Chuck Bennett (bass), Bill Belasco (drums) and Brad Buethe (guitar).

Nine years after Dumaine returned to the Bay Area after years in NY working as an actress and classical theater performer, she and Miller’s group take a mostly upbeat, swinging whirl through a colorful, well-chosen batch of Great American Songbook standards (including three Rodgers & Hart gems), The Beatles’ “Yesterday” (re-imagined as an exquisite piano-vocal duet) and a soulful romp through “Just the Two of Us.” While Dumaine’s theatrical training shines through via her dramatic flair with a narrative, she also delivers moments of exquisite grace throughout, and even a well-placed scat on a jaunty twists on “When in Rome” and “I’ve Never Been in Love Before.”

She also showcases her flair for the exotic, singing deftly in French (“Chez Moi,” “Que Reste – I Wish You Love”) and Portuguese (Jobim’s “Si Danca Samba”). Dumaine and Miller’s arrangements give ample space for Mille’s glorious solo action and seamless ensemble work with his ensemble.