The Great American Songbook Vol. 2

Beegie Adair’s The Great American Songbook, Vol. 2 is a graceful, melody-first jazz-piano collection that returns to the elegant standards repertoire with Adair’s hallmark clarity, warmth, and unhurried swing. Released in 2026, the 12-track set balances familiar American and international songbook material, opening with “A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square” and moving through “The Last Time I Saw Paris,” “I Wish You Love,” “April in Paris,” “La Vie en Rose,” “Days of Wine and Roses,” “Laura,” “I Love Paris,” and “Beyond the Sea.” Its song choices favor romance, travel, memory, and wistful sophistication rather than showy virtuosity for its own sake.

Adair’s piano remains the focal point, but the album gains variety from sympathetic collaborators: the Star City Symphony appears on the opening “A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square” and Jaimee Paul joins for “You’ve Got a Friend,” while violinist David Davidson contributes to several selections, including “The Last Time I Saw Paris,” “April in Paris,” “La Vie en Rose,” and “Beyond the Sea.” The overall effect is polished but intimate—more like a refined late-night lounge performance than a hard-swinging jazz session. The Great American Songbook, Vol. 2 is therefore well suited to listeners who value lyrical interpretation, relaxed tempo, and the enduring craft of standards presented with understated elegance.