If your like me, sometimes it’s nice to give your eardrums a break from rock and roll in favor of something a little jazzier and eclectic and lately Nellie McKay’s throwback piano jazz has been just the therapy my burned out eardrums have been searching for.

Her new album, an homage to Doris Day, features a wonderfully mellow blend of old school cocktail lounge vocal piano jazz with a small dash of big band bop somewhat reminiscent of Norah Jones, but infinitely cooler. In fact, Nellie McKay’s music is downright 1950’s James Dean cool. She’s funny, she’s charming, and downright swanky if I may go back in time to borrow the term.

Nellie Mckay is in the midst of one of her larger national tours of her career that is gathering enviable word of mouth. No wonder really, one listen to her songs and you can’t help but feel cooler and more relaxed, the kind of cool and relaxed one feels after pouring yourself the perfect gin and tonic after a long day’s travails. But I had to wonder what exactly was so cool about Doris Day to foster an entire tribute album? So I asked Nellie and here was her response:

“Doris Day is like a big bright beaming ball of sunshine. She draws you in with her positive image then delights with her beautiful voice and compassion for animals. Doris Day recorded a magnificent catalogue but nobody knows it so it’s high time Doris got her due. I picked Doris Day because I love to piss people off and because Anita Bryant was unavailable. Doris Day is an enigma: a symbol of bouncing good fortune who endured much personal tragedy: a player in the post-McCarthy period whose artistry transcended the limitations of the era, and a woman who used her success as a nostalgic figure to promote a movement: animal rights, years ahead of its time…Doris Day is just like me, a big phony!”

A new music video from the latest album is not yet available, but if you’d like to check out what all the fuss about Nellie McKay is, here’s a live clip of her performing for a bunch of politicians at last year’s DNC candidate debate. It’s funny too.