Ghost Song - Cécile McLorin Salvant (2022)
ideated from: Stereophile magazine. The reviews are the only thing in it I can afford…
Salvant’s last 3 records won Grammys for vocal jazz, but I don’t pay much attention to the Grammys. Otherwise I might have heard of her before this. She’s great.
The voice is pure and natural, and needs very little help to stand up on its own. She opens this record with a Kate Bush song, a capella until near the end. The ending is a traditional song, also solo, recorded in an empty church for a chilling natural reverb. In between are a bunch of really smart originals, mixed with songs from The Threepenny Opera and a Sting movie soundtrack ballad. Salvant takes ownership of all of it, and there’s never any question that you’re witnessing her vision and not just a collection of songs.
