Here are a couple vocalists that mix jazz feel with more popular and popular moods.
I tend to get worried when I see covers of female vocalists in cheese-cake type poses. Fortunately, I’ve heard Anna Danes’ last album a couple years ago, and was impressed by her delivery as well as her figure. Same this time around: she writes well, chooses covers cleverly, and delivers rich moods with the accompaniment and arrangements of Rich Ruttenberg/p-key along with Trey Henry-John Ferraro/dr.
She sounds sincere and hearfelt on the delicate reads of “When You Were My King” and sincere in devotion on “That’s All.” She tells a story well, sounding conversational throughout, but always melodic during a piece like “Long Distance” and gets misty eyed on “In The Wee Small Hours.” The clippety clop undercurrent allows Danes to get dramatic on “I Will Wait For You” while she sounds hurt b ut not vengeful on “I Want To Be Around/Cry Me A River.” She shows her fun side on “Mr. OMG” while saving the best for last-a solo read of her own “I Love You” that is as delicate as a marble carving. Highly rewarding and fit for a late night listen.
With a rich and wispy nasal tone, Valerie Ghent leans more towards the pop/R&B side of things on this album. Her team of Jerome Buigues/g-b, Pierre Sibille/key, Kevin Johnson-Franck taib/dr is augmented by a myriad of instrumental and vocal guests, as the moods and rhythms are quite varied. The guitars chunk out reggae on “Phased” and with a pulsating bass on “On and On” while some Boz Scaggs riffs provide a landing craft for Ghent on “30 Days” and the title track. Uptempo soul is clean with “Love Divine” and with extra voices, “New York City Streets” and “It’s Got to be You” are uplifting messages with a funky groove. Polished and shiny.