(BY DAVIS INMAN, DOWNBEAT MAGAZINE) Singer-songwriter Cyrille Aimée is starting to turn heads in the jazz world. On her debut disc for Mack Avenue, Aimée—who was born and raised in France—cheerfully mixes ingredients from Brazilian music, Gypsy jazz and Americana, throwing in a version of Duke Ellington’s “Caravan,” a cover of a Michael Jackson hit (“Off The Wall”), Oscar Pettiford’s “Tricotism” and four original compositions along the way.
 
The title track, written by onetime Benny Goodman Orchestra vocalist Peggy Lee, has the bouncy drive of a bluegrass tune, and helps establish the feel-good mood of this disc. The French-Gypsy musical influence is close to Aimée’s heart: She grew up in Samois-sur-Seine—the town in which legendary guitarist Django Reinhardt retired in 1951 and which still hosts an annual jazz festival in his honor—and was captivated by the music from an early age.
 
After hearing the instrumental composition “All Love” (written by Django’s son Babik and performed at Babik Reinhardt’s funeral), Aimée asked permission to write lyrics for it. “The birds flying high above you/ And the smell of rain/ All the memories you keep inside/ It’s love/ It’s all love,” she sings tenderly, accompanied by delicate acoustic guitar.
 
Among the originals, “Nuit Blanche” stands out, sung in French, and featuring fine scatting, showing listeners why she took home top honors in the vocal contests at the 2007 Montreux Jazz Festival and the inaugural Sarah Vaughan Vocal Competition in 2012. She also fared well at the 2010 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Vocals Competition, placing third, behind winner Cécile McLorin Salvant and runner-up Charenée Wade. Aimée’s performances at those competitions caught the attention of industry insiders, but now, with the release of It’s A Good Day, she’s certain to raise her profile among a wide spectrum of jazz fans.