Jazz Full of Soul
The often smooth jazz of this outstanding album is an interesting
leaning for Kandace in as much as when you search her out on YouTube you’ll
find largely R&B/soul as the bright direction of her superb singing as well
as promotion. Not that the heartbeat of soul doesn’t also pump throughout this
collection.
Having seen her supporting Gregory Porter on his recent UK
tour [reviewed here], this album is far less of a surprise, and welcome because
of that differently bright introduction. She is a naturally gifted performer,
the voice effortlessly pure and full, as well as a very fine jazz pianist.
The song choice on this album is both classic and
contemporary, the title track a sultry version of the Max Waldron song made
instrumentally standard by John Coltrane, Stan Getz and Pharaoh Sanders. There
are two Shelby Lynne songs – Thought it
Would Be Easier and Leavin’ – and
these get respectively a funked-up delivery [organ puffs/bursts, bass pumps,
and soulful chorus], and a beautifully swelled defiance in the expression of
leaving love behind, more backing vocals encouraging the confidence. But it is
the vocal assurance that underscores these and all the others.
Springs co-writes and goes solo: Novocaine Heart written with producers
Carl Sturken and Evan Rogers is a sprightly bass-propelled number; Fall Guy with these two as well is a
ballad that showcases Springs’ resonating lower notes – such soothing sonics – with
a rising chorus, and the self-penned closing song Rain Falling is a fine jazzblues with Kandace on solo piano
matching the vocal notes and then dancing in between.
There are more excellent songs written with other band
members, and War’s The World is a Ghetto
is covered with exquisite emotion in the stand-out singing.
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