On her debut album, jazz singer Liz Cole is joined on various selections by guitarist Larry Koonse, Otmaro Ruiz or Jacob Mann on piano, Darek Oles, Edwin Livingston or Jonathan Richards on bass, drummer Aarón Serfaty, and guest vibraphonist Jackson Irvine. The result is something which is very polished indeed, as Liz allows the band to have their say and never over sings yet is always in total control which makes for a very delightful album indeed. This never sounds as if we are listening to a studio recording from 2024, but instead it feels much more as if we are in a high-end jazz club where everyone is dressed to the nines for a real show. The set comprises ten of her favourite songs which range from swing, a Eubie Blake ballad and a song from the Bing Crosby/Frank Sinatra film High Society to a Brazilian number and a rarely performed Erroll Garner tune.
Her vocals are clean and on point, yet she also sounds relaxed, knowing she can either hit or slide into whatever note she wants, with confidence and class. I am glad the vibraphone is only on one song, as it somewhat overpowers the arrangement, and while it is pleasant, if it had been on any others, it would have been too much. All Liz needs is a solid quartet behind her as she works through multiple classics, and she shows a very different style on the Spanish “Tú” where she is accompanied solely by Larry Koonse on picked acoustic. There is no room to hide yet she provides long notes which stay perfectly on pitch. This is a relaxing release, one which can be enjoyed the first time it is played without having to work hard at understanding it, and if you enjoy classic female-fronted jazz then this is well worth discovering.
Rating: 7/10