Here are a couple female singers that are carrying on two different jazz traditions
Laura Ainsworth is a warm toned vocalist in the Cheryl Bentyne school of delivery. Husky in voice, she teams up with a big band on a couple tracks here, but mostly sticks to sa small group with Brian Piper/key, John Adams/b and Steve Barns/dr for material like the playful “The Gentleman is a Dope” and the cozy “Love is a Dangerous Thing.” With a voice like hers, she’s right at home with the lonely and bluesy “One More Time” and can get down and dirty on the big bold and brassy title track. She can definitely tell a story in her tunes, as on the cabaret feeling “I’d Give a Dollar For a Dime.” A good time gal!
A bit on the softer side, Kozuch delves into the Jobim songbook with a clean, glassy and organic sound to her tone. She mixes and matches English and Portuguese lyrics, and can slither on “A Felicidade” or get lonely and wistful on “Someone to Light Up My Life.” Her boppish take of “Agua de Beber” is infectious, while her dancing around the percussion on “Desifinado” is as nimble as a high jumper. Impressive!