Rising alto sax star Grace Kelly lays out her musical attitude and direction at the get go during this Boston gig from February 2012. Her self-penned “Please Don’t Box Me In” summarizes the attitude of this young lady that some people thought would be the next bop sensation. While she still displays her chops and warm tone on material like “The Way You Look Tonight,” “Summertime” and her own “Autumn Song,” To a suprise, however, Kelly spends most of the time showing a different side, that of a singer. She wrote all of her own tunes and lyrics and her delivery is a gentle breeze that is part folk troubadour and part torch singer. Supported by the team of Jason Palmer/tp, Zach Brown/b, Pete McCann/g, Mark walker/dr, Eric Law/cello and a pair of backup vocalists, Kelly plays it soft and gentle on melodic material like “Eggshells” and “Night Time Star.” The band makes it swing as much as it can, but the emphasis here is on gentle and reflective moods on romance. Bravos for Kelly stretching out a bit, and still keeping the jazz flame alive.
Pazz Productions