Rickie Lee Jones On Pieces of Treasure

Pieces of Treasure (BMG Modern Recordings), Rickie Lee Jones’ fifteenth studio album, not only explores her love of jazz but also reunites her with producer Russ Titelman who produced her 1979 debut album and its follow up Pirates in 1981. Of course, Jones has recorded jazz -oriented albums before – Girl at Her Volcano and Pop Pop  - and in 1989 she was nominated for a Grammy in the Best Jazz Vocal Performance category for her rendition of “Autumn Leaves” from Rob Wasserman’s Duets album and a year later she won in the same category for her duet with Dr. John of 'Makin’ Whoopee'. But with Pieces of Treasure Jones spends an entire album with the American Songbook.

Pieces of Treasure was recorded over five days at Sear Sound in midtown Manhattan and the studio ensemble consisted of Rob Mounsey on piano, guitarist Russell Malone, bassist David Wong and drummer Mark McLean.

I last spoke to Rickie Lee in 2021 about her Last Chance Texaco: Chronicles of an American Troubadour so I was delighted to talk to her about music and caught up with her by Zoom at her home in New Orleans, where she has lived for the past decade.