Kayle Brecher, Kayleidoscope | The Vinyl Anachronist

Part-Time Audiophile

It’s been a winter of female jazz singers, which is certainly not that odd of an occurrence, but in a crowded field it’s hard to stand out when there’s so much talent in the contemporary jazz scene. (I’m still reeling from that sweet Gloria Reuben album, by the way.) Kayle Brecher has two things going for her–she’s a distinctive singer and she’s also a gifted arranger. In her new album Kayleidoscope, Brecher sticks to tradition and channels such playful singers as Ella Fitzgerald (she’s fond of scatting and does it in a welcome and restrained manner) but inserts plenty of personality in every note. Listen to the way she pronounces every word of these jazz standards and then juxtaposes it against equally grounded musicians. Kayleidoscope doesn’t gloss over the music as so many recent singers have done. There’s no modernizing, no attempts to crossover into new realms with a trendy approach. These are songs of joy, of better times, of doing everything right the first time. I love the way her voice sounds, so imbued with that elusive attitude that she’s so happy to be here, doing what she loves to do. She accomplishes what should be considered mandatory for […]

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