The riveting filmed version of this concert emphatically reasserted Krall's jazz credentials after a couple of overly-commercial efforts. The singer/pianist is backed by a small group for the most part, with two tracks getting the full orchestral treatment. Michael Brecker and Christian McBride cameo on Billy Joel's 'Just the Way You Are'.
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Verse Patricia Barber 2002 [Blue Note]
Barber had been threatening to break through for some time before this gem of a record was released. Here the pianist/vocalist pens all the tracks and uses her unusual voice to take us deep into a maze of delightful avant-garde lyricism. With the added bonus of trumpeter Dave Douglas on board, this is the Barber album to have.
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Man In the Air Kurt Elling 2003 [Blue Note]
A fascinating and somewhat eccentric singer who gave up an academic career in order to pursue jazz, Elling has dabbled in everything from beat poetry to scat. This stylish set has vibraphonist Stefon Harris and soprano saxman Jim Gailloreto joining Elling's regular quartet featuring the underrated pianist Laurence Hobgood.
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Luna Claudia Acuña 2004 [Maxjazz]
Chilean vocalist Claudia Acuña left the small underground jazz scene in her native country and moved to New York in 1995 in a serious bid to pursue her music. Her third album starts off sounding like soothing Latino-pop, but one soon realises that behind all the beautifully articulated Spanish lyrics there is some seriously good jazz.
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Careless Love Madeleine Peyroux 2004 [Rounder]
The enigmatic Peyroux waited eight years to follow up her superb Dreamland album because she "took a breather". Careless Love was worth the wait, however, with producer Larry Klein showing that he knows how to make a jazz singer sound popularly modern. The Billie Holiday influence is obvious, but not overbearing.
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American Song Andy Bey 2004 [Savoy]
How Andy Bey manages to live in obscurity is anyone's guess. He was only 13 when he recorded his first solo album in 1952 and has sung alongside some of the greats. Without a doubt he has one of the finest male voices in jazz today. This record finds him in a melancholy mood, mainly consisting of slower ballads. Romance is not dead.
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Good Night, and Good Luck (Soundtrack) Dianne Reeves 2005 [Concord]
Songstress Reeves proves to be the perfect choice for the soundtrack to a George Clooney film about legendary TV newsman Edward R Murrow's run-in with McCarthyism in the 1950s. Mostly mid-tempo, but always hitting the mark - Clooney's choice of music is deftly definitive. With the subject matter, 'Straighten Up and Fly Right' was a given.
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Jazz Vocalists: Hear & Now Various Artists 2006 [Concord] 2CDs
A multi-label dream collection of modern jazz vocals at a bargain price. The first disc features contemporary compositions while the second is choc-full of modern interpretations of standards. Most of the big names are here and even the smoother crossover artists tend to put in fairly bona-fide performances. Proceeds benefit Jazz Alliance International.
