Secret Canon. Vol. 2

DAYNA KURTZ: Secret Canon, Vol. 2
MC Records, 2013

JAZZ/BLUES/POP VOCALS – Dayna Kurtz has a tremendous voice. She can be low and haunting, or bold and brassy, but she always delivers the goods on this collection of forgotten blues, r&b and jazz tunes from the 1940s-1960s (with a few originals mixed in). She eludes genre labels: pop-oriented songs are enriched by jazz horns, old-school blues blends with modern sensibility. Great, classic stuff. All clean.

All great! Fo’s Picks: 1, 4, 5, 7, 8

1. 5:11 – full-throated blues moan, powerful vocal; greasy sax break
2. 2:32 – feel-good marching soul; stomping beat and good horns
3. 4:38 – anthemic, retro pop-soul ballad, rises with a gospel touch
4. 3:45 – sassy roadhouse stomp combines old-time blues & attitude
5. 4:07 – wow! great torch ballad, starts lonely, rises up with trumpet & organ
6. 3:49 – quick New Orleans shuffle: some call & response, bluesy breaks
7. 5:39 – soulful torch ballad: vocals come up from deep down, slidin’ horns
8. 3:21 – trad jazz shuffle: a great back-alley sound with chorus, trumpet growl
9. 3:28 – testifyin’ soul-pop ballad: classic sound, soars high
10. 5:17 – slow jazz ballad: she works every syllable; cool organ, classy piano

[ Fo ] - 21 July 2013