Fresh n' dreamy

Ricky Berger is one of Sacramento's hottest singer-songwriters, and she has a literally cool idea for her CD-release party. The theme goes something like this: "I scream, you scream, we all scream for ... Ricky Berger!"

Berger is celebrating her debut CD, "Ricky Berger's First Album," Saturday night at midtown Sacramento's Bricka Bracka. The album is one of the year's most sumptuous listens with its exquisite, old-timey approach to classic pop and folk. And then, with memories of elementary school open-house nights, the event will be topped with an ice cream social.

So grab a scoop and a copy of "Ricky Berger's First Album," which will be on sale for $10 a pop. (Berger also will perform today at the free Friday Night Concert in Cesar Chavez Plaza.)

"I'm a people-pleaser," says Berger. "I thought, what will make this party look and sound beautiful, and be something really fun? Well, everyone loves ice cream. I knew it was going to be hot, and ice cream would be refreshing. Plus, a lot of people have plain CD-release parties, and I wanted to jazz mine up a bit."

The ice cream social is a sweet touch for a musician who is charming listeners all over Sacramento. She is 20 years old, but her music harkens to Tin Pan Alley, Tiny Tim and Patsy Cline records from days gone by. Yet it's all done in a fresh and breezy way, something like Norah Jones in a beaded vintage dress.

"I take my cues from pop, jazz and folk, but I just tell people that I like older music," says Berger. "I guess I'm just stuck on that feeling of sincerity, and I get that more through older records and performances."

Berger is originally from Bakersfield but moved to Sacramento about three years ago; she now lives in Natomas with members of her extended family.

She has always been close to her family, especially her grandparents. Berger even featured two of them on her new album. That's her grandma and late grandpa's voice on "Okle My Dokle," a bittersweet, sentimental ode to her grandparents that sometimes makes Berger tear up when she sings it on stage.

"I recorded that a month before he passed away," says Berger. "I'm really happy that I recorded that with him. I was really close to him. I don't think I've ever sung that without choking up."

Other tunes on "Ricky Berger's First Album," including "If" and "Michael's Song," nurture a sweet and wistful feeling carried by the breathiness of Berger's voice. Most of the songs don't feature much more than Berger's voice and whatever instrument she's playing, be it finger-picked guitar, piano or the occasional ukulele.

"For this album, I wanted it to be folkier, a little bit simple-sounding," says Berger. "I guess the ultimate overtone for the album was I wanted it to be sincere. Also, a lot of the songs on there were written when I had just started living here in Sacramento. It was kind of a growth period, and I liked the idea of documenting them."

Berger has performed throughout the Sacramento area over the past year, opening for folk-rock legend Richard Thompson and headlining her own shows at cafes and clubs around Sacramento. She may be poised to be the next Jackie Greene, who rose from Sacramento's coffeehouse and club circuit to national acclaim.

It's not that their music sounds the same. Berger channels a dreamy folk-jazz vibe while Greene gets down with rootsy rock 'n' roll. But they're both young performers who project old-soul personalities and appeal to peers and parents alike.

"I think she's got an amazing voice and is unusually comfortable on stage for her age," says Marty DeAnda, Greene's manager and owner of the local DIG Music record label. "She's almost Judy Garland-esque. There's a core of 18-to-20-year-old kids who see her, and also a core of 35-to-60-year-olds. She's like a chanteuse from the 1940s or 1950s, but everyone can relate to her. I think she's got all the talent in the world, and if she continues to grow, she'll be a major force to be reckoned with."

Berger is eyeing some shows over the summer in Southern California and plans to record her sophomore album in September. She has plenty of material on standby. Berger wrote more than 50 songs leading up to her first album, and only 11 made the cut for "Ricky Berger's First Album." She is still writing songs and is aiming for a different approach for her next album.

"The next one will have a different feel," she says. "This next album will be a little more jazz-influenced. There's going to be more in the way of some trumpet and trombone, and some xylophone in there. I want to have some strings that are lush and gentle. But I'm still a big fan of the 'less is more' approach.

"I've felt very grateful this past year. I'm just genuinely impressed with people's kindness, and I have the coolest fans ever. They give me instruments. I've been given an autoharp, ukuleles, toy pianos ... someone gave me a guitar. That's the ultimate gift to give me. How do you say thank you to that?"

Some ice cream is a good start.

Ricky Berger

WITH: Liz Ryder, Chuck Botelho Quartet

WHEN: 7 p.m. Saturday

WHERE: Bricka Bracka, 2114 P St., Sacramento

HOW MUCH: $10

INFORMATION: www.myspace.com/rickyberger

About the writer:

• Call Bee pop music critic Chris Macias, (916) 321-1253. Read his postings on pop music at www.sacbee.com/21Q.