Lizz Wright – The Orchard (2008)Wright’s earthy bluesy voice reminds you of folk greats like Odetta as well as smooth jazz like Sade and pop- blues like Tracy Chapman. Her strong style and intense sincerity of voice make it hard not to dive into the songs. Definitely too involving to be background music. Simple arrangements increase the honest feeling. Best song: It Makes No Difference (also listen to Speak Your Heart and This Is)
Meaghan Smith – The Cricket’s Orchard (2010)
Smith’s slower songs sound like the slow dance at 3 am when you realize you’ve fallen in love. The toe-tapping numbers don’t work as well but still draw you in. A slight country lilt make the songs that much cozier. Best Song: A Little Love (also listen to 5 More Minutes)
Madeleine Peyroux – Half the Perfect World (2006)
Peyroux is our favorite discovery since Melody Gardot. A very relaxing style with an obvious influence from Billie Holliday. Peyroux does a great jazz version of Everybody’s Talkin’ as well as standards like Summer Wind. This album has a strong focus on jazz guitar giving it a warm sleepy feel and the smooth brushstrokes on the drums bring the percussion soft like snow falling. Best Song: Half the Perfect World (also listen to the bluesy A Little Bit)Madeleine Peyroux – Dreamland (1996)
Peyroux does great covers of Walkin’ After Midnight and La Vie En Rose. While still using mostly jazz guitar, this album has more variety in arrangement and more piano. The album also includes more blues and a more jazz club atmosphere. Best Song: Muddy Water
Imelda May – Love Tattoo (2009)
Fun lyrics, a deep flirtatious voice, sexy horn section and occasional jazz organ and surf guitar make you want to go on a date and dance. Reminiscent of the fun filled band music of Lois Prima. Best Song: Big Bad Handsome Man (also listen to It’s Your Voodoo Working)
Esperanza Spalding – Esperanza (2008)
A great album that makes you feel like you’re in the jazz club listening live. Spalding doesn’t feel the need to dominate, giving plenty of time to her band and easily blends her voice into the mix, more of an additional instrument than the star. The band becomes the force of the music rather than just support to the vocalist. A great jazz style where you can almost smell the smoke and taste the scotch. Best Song: Cuerpo Y AlmaEmiliana Torrini – Fisherman’s Woman (2008)
Torrini’s voice has a sweet and honest indie jazz style with a Nick Drake/Camera Obscura/Bjork/Norah Jones feel to it (how’s that for a combo?). Her style is definitely melancholy, even delivering lines like ‘Nothing Brings Me Down’ like she took a mild sedative alone on Valentine’s Day. Best Song: Nothing Brings Me Down
Kings of Convenience – Declaration of Dependence (2009)Not really jazz, but if Simon & Garfunkel can play the New Orleans jazz festival, I can cover these guys. Laid back super cool acoustic duo have a romantic/melancholy view towards all things mundane and beautiful. They have the best song and album titles. Best Song: Riot on an Empty Street.
Robin Thicke – Sex Therapy (2009)
Thicke has a great ‘Barry White sings Bossa Novva’ style and in this album he plays it up. The album has a constant leitmotif of seduction and lovemaking with a definite tip of the hat to White. The lyrics though, could have come from a 70’s b side with Thicke playing a sexy love doctor who arrives with rose champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries. Surely satire, right? Best Song: Mrs. Sexy
The jazz organ and electric bass create a jazz lounge feeling while the lyrics heavy numbers draw attention to the feelings being expressed. Best Song: Kara Toprak
Shin – Adio (1995)
Mixing fast paced Caucasian rhythms with electric funk, this album is not for the faint of heart. The only vocals consist of Georgian polyphonic chant evolving into jazz scat. The free style mixed with the pattering drums which never let up act as a shot of Benzedrine to those expecting a straightforward jazz set. Best Song: Adio
Nellie McKay – Get Away From Me (2004)
The unmistakably unique point of McKay’s music are her lyrics. Very honest about feelings and sometimes edged with bitterness, they can remind you of Lilly Allen. But often her lines about simple actions feeling make you think she simply singing whatever she just just said like she was a cast member on Flight of the Conchords (God I’m so German, I have to have a plan, please Ethel Merman, help me from this jam). Her style and arrangement are completely tailored to whatever lyrical style she has chosen (and not always jazz!). Best Song: I Wanna Get Married
