Lauren Henderson has framed her sensuous and lyrical voice in a variety of settings over the years, ranging from Latin to R&B. This time around, she’s reunited with a simpatico teammate in pianist Sullivan Fortner (who’s worked with the likes of Roy Hargrove and Cecile McClorin-Salvant) along with Eric Wheeler/b and Allan Mednard/dr in a format of interpretations of standards that are anything but.
Henderson has a seductive teddy of a voice, just gently hanging on to reveal and cover up just enough on pieces as she does more with less in contrast to Fortner’s flying sparks as on the husky and sultry yet assertive waltz of “While We’re Young” and also the relaxed yet delicate “People Will Say We’re In Love” where she flows over Mednard’s crispy drums like honey dripping over walnuts. Cooing in Spanish, she is as relaxed as a flickering candle on “Sabor A Mi” and holds back to draw you into her arms on “Besame Mucho” while in Portuguese she purrs in restraint on the dimly lit samba of “Meditacao (Meditation)”. You get the feel that she’s either finishing off her cigarette or the last sip of her liqueur as she lets Wheeler deliver a long introduction with the other gents slowly joining in until at the last minute of “Beautiful Love” she finally enters the room for a wink and wanders off back into her boudoir. Sullivan is in perfect late night/last call support on the lovely “Tiernamente” which has Henderson spacing out the lyrics to the point where you can taste her lipstick. There are two variant takes of “Day By Day”-one is a easy bluesy swinging trio version with Sullivan flowing in support of her dainty and well placed warble, and a duet that highlights her oh-so tender vibrato sashaying around Fortner’s fingers like a silk scarf. This is how songs are to be sung-I just gotta make sure I take my wife with me to see her if she comes to town!