Canadian-born, New York-based Brenda Earle Stokes is a rare jazz artist with a true command of both the piano and the voice. In her latest album Solo Sessions Volume 1, Brenda explores the rarely- recorded format of solo piano/voice, showcasing her mesmerizing fluidity as both singer and pianist. Today’s Song of the Day is Stokes’ excellent cover of “Ladies in Mercedes,” a tune originally composed by Steve Swallow and Norma Winstone. Stokes’ version amplifies the bounce and buoyancy of the original with some impressive piano flourishes, yet her poignant reading of the lyrics adds a layer of poetry and passion, bringing strains of Sondheim into the mix. This is truly poetry in motion.