The rich and chesty voice of Sylvia Brooks is clear and alluring on her delivery of jazz and pop standards. She’s got a rich and seductive vibrato, well delivered on the late night “Angel Eyes” while sounding like a sincere story teller on “Eleanor Rigby.” She knows how to veer through a hip rhythm team, as she sears through the hip horns on “Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps” and struts through a shuffling “Cold Cold Heart” while keeping upbeat on a perky “Midnight Sun.” She can get deep and attractive on the misty “Besame Mucho” while vulnerable yet accusing on “Guess Who I Saw Today.” She’s able to let her voice tell a story, using the lyrics as guideposts.
When Jazz Meets Classical: Musicians Who Bridge Two Timeless Traditions
Although the borders between jazz and classical music might look well defined, some of the greatest jazz musicians in history have played so freely, so defensively, as to create inspired work that exists somewhere in between. Indeed, the rich history of jazz that’s...
