Her voice is already a shrine by itself. A shrine in which all the world standards shine brightly. But this time, the shrine is for Stacey Kent a carpet of strings. With I Know I Dream, the singer from New Jersey makes the experience even silkier. Recorded in the famous Angel Studios in London with a phalanx of sixty musicians and meticulously produced by Tommy Lawrence and Jim Tomlinson (Mister Stacey Kent in real life), this album offers rearranged themes to reach some sort of nirvana of depth, intimacy and delight. A true grace that above all avoids the trappings into which the vocal jazz discs sometimes fall… Where the repertoire is concerned, Stacey Kent remembers her love of jazz, of French songs (Juliette Gréco, Léo Ferré and Nino Ferrer come to mind) and Brazilian music (Tom Jobim). As always with her, there’s a love of storytelling and a deep passion for language and words. These are essential things that Stacey Kent perfectly merges in the ocean of strings of this rare pearl of a disc. © CM/Qobuz

The Changing Lights is another welcome addition to the back catalog of jazz vocalist Stacey Kent. Focusing on her love of Brazilian music, the album sees Kent delivering a collection of original and cover material mixing bossa nova with her usual smooth jazz style. The album includes collaborations with Portuguese poet Antonio Ladeira and French lyricist Bernie Beaupère.© TiVo

Some fans of contemporary jazz remember that Brian Culbertson's debut album, 1994's A Long Night Out, was actually a series of demos cut in his apartment. He played most instruments himself but had help from a small group of friends. On its 20th anniversary comes Another Long Night Out, a track-by-track re-recording of that initial offering, played by the artist surrounded by a studio dream team. It signals another debut of sorts -- the first release from his own BCM label. Each track here contains a featured soloist, but the bands he's assembled here are comprised of veteran, sometimes legendary talent. Opener "City Lights" features Lee Ritenour's guitar in the solo spot, but the rhythm guitarist is no less than Ray Parker, Jr. Interestingly, one can hear Culbertson quote from the refrain of Gordon Lightfoot's "If You Could Read My Mind" in his piano solo. On "Fullerton Ave.," it's guitarist Chuck Loeb hitting the funky groove with assistance from bassist Jimmy Haslip and percussionist Lenny Castro, among others. "Heroes of the Dawn" features some elegant flügelhorn and valve trombone from Rick Braun, as well as a fine soprano sax solo from Eric Marienthal. The lead guitar player on "Beautiful Liar" is Steve Lukather, with bassist Nathan East driving the rhythm section. Russ Freeman takes the six-string chair on "Double Exposure," with solid saxophone work from Jeff Kashiwa. Longstanding compadre Michael "Patches" Stewart's trumpet is the guest solo on "Horizon," with Parker and Paul Jackson, Jr. exchanging spirited guitar interplay. Three tracks here, the lithe "Beyond the Frontier," the sprightly title cut (with Candy Dulfer featured on alto), and the tender closer "Changing Tides" (with Jonathan Butler's acoustic guitar and gorgeous wordless vocals) are textured by graceful yet dynamic charts written and arranged by David Benoit, and beautifully played by a 33-piece string orchestra with restraint. This re-imagined Another Long Night Out was a risky venture for obvious reasons. Yet it reveals more expansive harmonies, looser grooves, and more elegant textures. Culbertson's vision has matured over 20 years, but more surprising is how alluring these melodies were in the first place -- and just how timeless they remain even in a completely different setting.© Thom Jurek /TiVo

Their name may come from a Steely Dan song, but, as far as their musical makeup goes, Deacon Blue owes a lot more to Simple Minds and Prefab Sprout than the Dan. On When the World Knows Your Name, the band blends AOR, Celtic flourishes, and dashes of blue-eyed soul to create a polished album that, while it won't make any "best-of" lists in a hurry, has more than a few pleasures to offer nevertheless. Deacon Blue isn't on the mark all the time. They have their failings, notably a tendency to get overly precious and self-indulgent when trying too hard to be impressionistic on the slower songs toward album's end. But when they get it right, like on "Queen of the New Year," "Wages Day," "Real Gone Kid," and "Fergus Sings the Blues," their driving melodies and hooks are fine compensation. Ricky Ross' songwriting is accomplished enough when he's not striving too hard for poetic effect: his word-picture evocations of light and shade are particularly impressive. The material is mostly strong, if not uniformly so; the playing is rather more consistently focused and energetic. If Deacon Blue gets the balance right, and plays to their strengths, they could be rather more than the minor-league U2 they come off as on this album.© Leslie Mathew /TiVo

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For many years in the alternative revolution of the early '90s, Mary Lou Lord was touted as the next big thing by those in the know, but she never delivered a full-length album, preferring to turn out a series of indie EPs on Kill Rock Stars. It wasn't until 1998 that she released her full-length debut, Got No Shadow. While many of the titles on the album may be familiar to longtime fans -- "Lights Are Changing," "Some Jingle Jangle Morning," "Western Union Desperate," "Subway" -- the clean, polished sound of Got No Shadow might come as surprise. But the production actually does a nice job of opening up her sound, making it accessible like a Shawn Colvin record without losing integrity. Some critics may carp that Lord wrote or co-wrote seven of the 13 tracks of the record, with the rest of the songs devoted to covers of her longtime associate Nick Saloman (the Bevis Frond), and one tune apiece from Elizabeth Cotton ("Shake Sugaree") and Freedy Johnston ("The Lucky One"), but that has the effect of strengthening the album, since there isn't a weak song here. Lord has a sweet, thin voice that is surprisingly versatile, and she delivers Saloman's songs as convincingly as her own. Got No Shadow is a little subdued, but Lord's charming performances, clever lyrics, and catchy melodies prove remarkably resonant. It may not have the unvarnished appeal of the early EPs and tapes, but Got No Shadow was worth waiting for.© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo

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After the huge success of his song Human in 2016 followed by an album of the same name, Rag'n'Bone Man took his time to bring out Life by Misadventure. Global success is not easy to digest. He had to set aside the hip-hop influences of his early days, and focus on the sentimental acoustic ballads that made him famous. Recorded in Tennessee, the English singer's second album revolves around three themes: the soul, the heart, and loneliness. These three ideas are perfect material for songwriters who want to be able to talk to everyone, while also indulging in introspection. Thanks to his voice, which can be expressive to a fault, Rag'n'Bone Man knows how to bring an audience to tears. The spirited flights of Talking to Myself (more loneliness), Alone (even more loneliness...) and Somewhere Along the Way (lonelier still) show that he is an excellent performer. The rhythmic southern soul influences on Time Will Only Tell and the rock sound on Crossfire still stand out against the chart-topping power-pop best exemplified on Anywhere Away From Here, a duet with Pink!. © Brice Miclet/Qobuz

After a whirlwind 2020, with almost every artists’ musical endeavours being put on hold, Sophie Hutchings made the best of a bad situation, and now we are presented with her album Echoes in the Valley. The original plan for Sophie’s latest release was to record in Nils Frahm’s studio in Berlin, however, the pandemic had other plans. Instead, Sophie returned to her home of Australia and spent a week in the Byron Hinterland. The Hinterland is a stretch of rolling hills and untouched bush inland from Byron Bay, Australia’s most eastern point. Sprinkled throughout the Hinterland are hiking trails, waterfalls and quaint towns, those typical of a Banjo Patterson poem. After being presented with an unfamiliar piano in a shack in the middle of nowhere, over three short days Hutching’s got to work creating the masterpiece that is Echoes in the Valley. Without even knowing the story behind the location or the piano, from the first track 'Along the Boundary' you are instantly transported to another world. The natural soundfloor of the bush outside, coupled with the mechanics of the piano, make you feel like you’re right there inside the piano, as Sophie’s floating, meditative melodies swirl around you. Being presented with an unconventional piano to record an entire album on can be daunting, but in true Australian fashion, Sophie ran with it and turned it into something beautiful. In conversation she mentioned, “There were a few little weird characteristics of the piano that were bothering me, and I was like, okay... I’ve got to make this thing work. It's funny, initially, I was a bit stressed about the personality of the piano, even after it had been tuned, but strangely with the environment and the setting, I was like, this is going to tell a story.” And tell a story it does, it reflects the story of the year that the world stopped.The album flows seamlessly and transports you to another, more calm world than that of our own, whilst still providing plenty of emotional depth. The track 'Billow Gently' is contemplative and even mournful, whereas 'I Used to Live Here' is earnest, with the arpeggiated left hand, which sits just below the sound of the right, reminiscent of cinematic classic Gabriel’s Oboe from The Mission. On a track like 'The Lighthouse', the natural creaks and clicks of the piano create an almost metronomic sensation that pushes the piece forward, grounding the aerial melody lines before evolving into the perfect accompaniment for Glass-like repetitive motives. Echoes in the Valley rounds out with 'Hold My Hand', a contemplative and quietly optimistic track. The repeated motive would’ve been a fine ending to this closing track, however, the final rising line leaves us with bated breath, hoping for just a drop more of what Sophie has to offer. © Jessica Porter-Langson / Qobuz