There's a joke about
jazz
vocalists that goes like this: how many
singers does it take to sing
"My Funny Valentine"
? All of them. That joke is making fun of the countless
singers who insist on recording nothing but
Tin Pan Alley
warhorses that -- as great as they are -- have been recorded much too often over the years. But not all
singers have a warhorses-only policy, and risk-takers like
Claire Martin
,
Cassandra Wilson
, and the Philadelphia-based
Lou Lanza
are doing
vocal jazz
a huge favor by having adventurous, far-reaching repertoires that aren't limited to
.
Jacqui Naylor
is another risk-taking
vocalist with an interesting repertoire, but there's a catch: she's also a folk-rocker -- and her
folk-rock
side has the upper hand on
Shelter
Naylor
has been dividing her time between a
/
adult alternative
aesthetic and
; she's compelling in both areas, but whether
favors one or the other all depends on what a particular song calls for. Interestingly, the most
-oriented thing on
is an interpretation of
the Rolling Stones
'
"Miss You"
;
has no problem finding the tune's
potential, and her
side also prevails on
Joan Armatrading
's
"Love and Affection"
and the
Billie Holiday-ish
"All for You"
(which
co-wrote with pianist
Art Khu
). But most of the time,
side wins out on
. Most of the 11 songs she co-wrote with
Khu
for this album are more
than
, and
serves
well on introspective tracks such as
"Before I'm Gone"
and
"Free My Love."
Some
snobs no doubt wish that
would perform straight-ahead
exclusively, but she would be selling herself short if she did that -- and thankfully,
doesn't sell herself short on the memorable
. ~ Alex Henderson