Libby York isn't the kind of jazz singer who needs vocal pyrotechnics to captivate an audience. Whether she sings a ballad or swings a standard, her deep connection to the lyrics and her subtle improvisations on the melody convey an intimacy that makes each song feel like it tells its own life. On Dreamland, her latest recording and new opus, she once again puts her so expressive voice at the service of a set of standards, for the most part little known, which highlight her ability to go to the heart of the emotion of 'a song.
Dreamland is Libby York's fifth CD as a leader and producer. This album follows Memoir (2014), Here with You (2008), Sunday in New York (2003), and Blue Gardenia (1999). DownBeat magazine had given Sunday in New York four stars and said: "Elegant and cosmopolitan, with a large element of lush urban living, Libby York has a sound that recalls, without condescension or gratuitous nostalgia, the boredom a little tired of the post-war world and life of Anita O'Day, Chris Connor and Sarah Vaughan".
Libby York is the favorite of many top jazz musicians. During her 40 year career, she has recorded and performed worldwide with jazz musicians like John Di Martino, Warren Vaché, Russell Malone, Frank Wess, Renee Rosnes, and many more. Dreamland was recorded in Michigan with local musicians whose fame extends far beyond the Midwest.
This album confirms the trend of this beginning of the year, with an outrageously classic, elegant opus, a perfect interpretation and sumptuous arrangements, and although it does not revolutionize the genre, this album will please a large number of music lovers. jazz.
We do not hide our pleasure in listening to this album which, for all the reasons mentioned above, is a "coup de coeur" for the editorial staff of Paris-Move and Bayou Blue Radio who make it a point of honor to appreciate artists who get to the bottom of things, like here Libby York. Lovers of beautiful voices and hyper melodic and well-calibrated music, this album is made for you.