Vocalist Gabrielle Agachiko has a luminous and soft water of a voice with a gentle vibrato that lures you into this impressive collection of originals and standards. She’s surrounded by a flexible and adroit team of Scott Getchett/tp, Ken Field/fl, Russ Gershon/ts, Sam Daines/g, Blake Newman/b and Phil Neighbors/dr as well as guests Tim West/B3 and Vicente Lefron/congas. The melding of woodwinds and brass work like flowing silk drapes on “Blue Winter” and Nina Simone’s “Four Women,” the later including a tom tom that comes across like a late night story around the campfire. A driving “Your Mama” and Latin “Words” display the soulful side of the band, with Agachiko’s timing as light and crisp as Sugar Ray Leonard. An a capella intro on the R&B classic “Since I Fell For You” is clear and penetrating, while the cozy title track is modern soul music at its best. This is a lady I wanna see do this stuff in concert!
Accurate Records
www.agachiko.com