Stacy Kent is a jazz singer who – like Jennifer Hartswick – came to my attention when she was featured on Putumayo’s Women In Jazz collection. Kent’s Grammy nominated Breakfast On The Morning Train was released by Blue Note Records, features lyrics penned by novelist Kazuo Ishiguro
Most of the melodies on Breakfast On The Morning Train have smooth, mellow coffeehouse tones. Tracks like the opener “The Ice Hotel”, “I Wish I Could Go Travelling Again”, and the album’s title track are pleasant enough, but the arrangements are too jejune for my taste.
Stacey’s delicate croon is much better suited to soft acoustic and piano renditions of Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide” and Louis Armstrong’s “What A Wonderful World”, as well as more emotive ballads like “Ces petits riens”, “So Many Stars”, “Never Let Me Go”, and “La saison des pluies”.
The Tin Pan Alley number “Hard-Hearted Hannah” is another highlight, though Kent’s naturally perky voice isn’t quite convincing for the vampy style of the cover. But if one can suspend disbelief, it’s the stand out track on the album.
I was not granted permission to share a full mp3, but hear’s a clip:
Stacey Kent – What A Wonderful World (mp3 clip) *
*mp3 is a sample clip hosted on the artist’s website
