Thursday, September 20, 2012

Cynthia Felton, Freedom Jazz Dance

There are new generations of singers on the scene now, lots of them. Few have the talent and capabilities of Cynthia Felton, as her new album Freedom Jazz Dance (Felton Entertainment 003) attests.

For this one she covers some great jazz and songbook standards like "Take Five," "Lost in the Stars," "Duke Ellington's Sound of Love," etc. She is well served by a cast of accompanists that include Cyrus Chestnut, Ernie Watts, Terri Lyne Carrington, Wallace Roney and other lesser known but no less sympathetic musicians. The arrangements are straightforward to allow her voice to shine brightly.

And it does. She has perfect intonation, soul, a charming sounding voice, beautiful phrasing, the ability to deviate convincingly from a straight rendering of the fake book sort, and she can scat nicely without relying upon it.

There's nothing bad to say about a singer like this! Sometimes she reminds me of a Syreeta Wright with more heft and jazz sensibility. This album showcases her considerable talents very nicely. A jazz singer for today she truly is. And the album is a gas to hear!

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