Jacqui Naylor - Dead Divas Society

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:38
Size: 131,3 MB
Art: Front

(4:54)  1. Skylark
(4:07)  2. It's A Good Day
(3:16)  3. Back To Black
(3:03)  4. Where Do You Start
(3:37)  5. It's A Most Unusual Day
(3:42)  6. Feelin' Good
(4:38)  7. Love Of My Life
(3:31)  8. The Windmills Of Your Mind
(2:55)  9. When The World Was Young
(3:45) 10. Gravy Waltz
(4:58) 11. Crazy He Calls Me
(4:13) 12. Never Too Much
(2:58) 13. Fool That I Am
(2:46) 14. They Say It's Spring
(4:07) 15. Dream A Little Dream Of Me

When preparing her previous release, Lucky Girl, Jacqui Naylor invited 90 friends and fans to listen to 25 selections and vote on each, ultimately recording the top 15 tunes. Such democracy continues with Dead Divas Society, though less formally. As the puckishly morbid title suggests, Naylor’s intent is to pay tribute to departed singers who have influenced her. Its 15 tracks were recorded live at San Francisco’s Coast Recorders in front off a hand-selected audience of 150, all polled in advance for suggestions. The final tally of 14 divas (Peggy Lee is saluted twice) extends from Ella, Billie and Sarah to Cass Elliot, Amy Winehouse and, another display of Naylor’s impishness, Freddie Mercury and Luther Vandross. Naylor, whose striking sound seems equal parts Holiday and Pearl Bailey, is in superb form throughout, tight as ever with longtime bandmates Art Khu (piano, organ, guitar), Jon Evans (bass) and Josh Jones (drums, percussion). As on Lucky Girl, they exercise their trademark “acoustic smashing” the layering of a jazz standard atop a rock classic just once, unfolding an ebullient “Feelin’ Good” (for Nina Simone) over a sizzling “I Shot the Sheriff.” Often opting for less obvious choices “Skylark” for Ella, “Gravy Waltz” for Sarah, “They Say It’s Spring” for Blossom Dearie Naylor shapes a consistently inspired olio, and her inky rendering of Winehouse’s “Back to Black” is a particular standout. ~ Christopher Loudon http://jazztimes.com/articles/103160-dead-divas-society-jacqui-naylor

Dead Divas Society

---

Jacqui Naylor - Lucky Girl

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 52:55
Size: 121.2 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[2:45] 1. Lucky Girl
[4:48] 2. Nothing Could Be Better Than You
[3:42] 3. Surrey With The Fringe On Top
[3:10] 4. Since I Love You
[2:45] 5. It Was Supposed To Work Out
[3:43] 6. Only Love Can Break Your Heart
[3:00] 7. Dreamin' Prayin' Wishin'
[3:23] 8. Moon River
[4:25] 9. Sunshine And Rain
[2:51] 10. I Promise
[3:29] 11. Angel Eyes
[3:54] 12. Close The Door
[2:50] 13. You're My Favorite Person
[4:10] 14. I Can't Make You Love Me
[3:53] 15. Beautiful

Jacqui Naylor has never been afraid to keep listeners guessing. She performs straight-ahead vocal jazz so convincingly that some admirers think that she is really a jazz singer at heart; she performs folk-rock and adult alternative so convincingly that other admirers believe that she is really a singer/songwriter at heart. And Naylor doesn't become any easier to categorize on Lucky Girl, which not only contains vocal jazz and folk-rock/adult alternative performances, but also moves into soul territory at times. This 2011 release finds Naylor putting her spin on a variety of familiar songs, which range from Kenny Gamble & Leon Huff's "Close the Door" (a major solo hit for the late Teddy Pendergrass in 1978, which was two years after he left Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes) to Henry Mancini's "Moon River" to Neil Young's "Only Love Can Break Your Heart." And Naylor still has fun with "acoustic smashing," which is her term for combining songs in unorthodox ways. For example, her interpretation of Rodgers & Hammerstein's "Surrey with the Fringe on Top" borrows the melody of George Benson's "Breezin'"; it's not what one expects from that Tin Pan Alley standard, but Naylor makes the two songs sound like a perfectly natural combination. And she even manages to surprise us on the Matt Dennis warhorse "Angel Eyes," which is one of those great but overdone standards that has been absolutely beaten to death over the years. Naylor's unlikely version is surprisingly funky; rarely does one hear "Angel Eyes" performed with such an overt R&B influence.

The original songs (Naylor co-wrote nine of the CD's eleven tracks with pianist and longtime collaborator Art Khu) aren't any less surprising; one never knows if a Naylor/Khu original will favor straight-ahead jazz or folk-rock/adult alternative. Naylor's sense of adventure is alive and well on Lucky Girl, which is yet another creative triumph for the hard-to-categorize vocalist. ~ Alex Henderson

Recording information: San Pablo Recorders, Berkeley, CA.

Jacqui Naylor (vocals); Art Khu (guitars, piano, Fender Rhodes piano, organ); Jon Evans (lap steel guitar, percussion); Chloe Scott (flute); Josh Jones (drums, percussion).

Lucky Girl

---

Jacqui Naylor - The Long Game

Styles: Vocal
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:15
Size: 137,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:03) 1. Like Someone in Love
(3:50) 2. Give Me One More Chance
(5:25) 3. Fix You
(3:20) 4. I'll Be Loving You
(3:29) 5. Love Look What You've Done
(4:18) 6. Walkin' out the Door
(4:35) 7. Smile
(5:47) 8. The Thrill is Gone
(4:19) 9. Space Oddity
(4:55) 10. The Long Game
(5:43) 11. Don't Give Up
(3:32) 12. Speak Low
(3:17) 13. It's the Right Time
(3:34) 14. All My Life

The Long Game is the 11th album from celebrated vocalist and songwriter, Jacqui Naylor. Known for her ability to seamlessly weave genres and styles from different eras, this artist creates a meaningful collection of love songs, replete with R&B inspired original compositions, Latin imbued jazz standards and sensitively crafted rock anthems. The muscianship and camaraderie of Naylor and long-time bandmates shine brightly throughout this thoughtfully produced album.~Opiniones editoriales https://www.amazon.com/Long-Game-Jacqui-Naylor/dp/B08QRXV5BQ

Personnel: Vocals – Jacqui Naylor; Bass, Backing Vocals – Jon Evans, Guitar – Jon Evans; Piano, Organ, Guitar – Art Khu ; Drums, Percussion – Josh Jones

The Long Game

---

Jacqui Naylor - Sunshine and Rain

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:01
Size: 159,2 MB
Art: Front

(3:32)  1. Angel Eyes
(3:26)  2. Moon River
(4:28)  3. Sunshine and Rain
(2:53)  4. I Promise
(4:55)  5. Skylark
(3:18)  6. Back to Black
(5:47)  7. Black Coffee
(3:26)  8. Celebrate Early and Often
(5:07)  9. Losing My Religion
(5:27) 10. Ain't No Sunshine
(3:38) 11. Love for Sale
(3:42) 12. Blue Moon
(3:38) 13. Easy Ride From Here
(4:52) 14. Miss You
(4:25) 15. Once in a Lifetime
(4:20) 16. My Funny Valentine

Jacqui Naylor is not an easy artist to categorize. There are times when she performs straight-ahead vocal jazz, but at other times she favors more of a folk-rock/adult alternative approach. Depending on the mood she is in at a given moment, the northern Californian can bring to mind anyone from Cassandra Wilson or British jazz vocalist Claire Martin to Sarah McLachlan or Shawn Colvin she is as comfortable among jazz improvisers as she is in the singer/songwriter world.

During one of her live performances, Naylor has no problem singing smoky jazz one minute and folk-rock or adult alternative the next and there are times when she blurs the line between the two. Naylor, who is very jazz-friendly but far from a rigid jazz purist, brings a long list of influences to her introspective work influences ranging from Billie Holiday, June Christy, and Nina Simone to Tracy Chapman, Natalie Merchant, Carole King, and Sheryl Crow. That is an unlikely combination of influences, certainly, but it is one that works well for Naylor (who has used all of them to fashion a personal, recognizable style of her own). Naylor has a highly diverse repertoire; on-stage, she is likely to perform a Tin Pan Alley standard right after something by the Rolling Stones or Talking Heads (in addition to performing songs of her own). Naylor is not an overly aggressive or forceful type of singer; she favors subtlety, restraint, and understatement, which are things that Holiday and Christy (one of the goddesses of jazz's cool school) were both masters of. ~ Editorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com/Sunshine-Rain-JACQUI-NAYLOR/dp/B00WL8VTL8

Sunshine and Rain

---

Jacqui Naylor & Art Khu - Q&A

Size: 113,9 MB
Time: 49:32
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2017
Styles: Jazz/Pop Vocals
Art: Front

01. I've Never Been In Love Before (3:42)
02. The Way You Look Tonight (4:14)
03. The Nearness Of You (6:01)
04. More Than Words (4:39)
05. This Is How It Starts (2:41)
06. Once Upon A Summertime (2:38)
07. Charade (3:19)
08. I Thought About You (4:14)
09. Secret Love (3:21)
10. Lush Life (4:01)
11. Time After Time (4:21)
12. Moonglow (3:34)
13. Here We Are At Last (2:42)

Q&A is Jacqui Naylor's ninth recording and first duo album with long-time multi-instrumentalist, composer and arranger, Art Khu. The duo is best known for their work with full quartet, combining jazz, soul, rock and original music in new ways. On Q&A they have created an intimate jazz experience with many surprises. "For over a decade, we've been performing and recording with our quartet, yet always include at least one song as a duo. Fans tell us it's one of their favorite moments and we wanted to capture that in this recording," says Naylor. Original songs, This Is How It Starts and Here We Are At Last speak to the duo's long-time collaboration, sitting comfortably next to jazz classics like The Way You Look Tonight, Moonglow and Time After Time. Naylor's uniquely identifiable and capable voice and Khu's ability to weave seamlessly in and out of her phrasing is evident throughout, particularly on their versions of The Nearness Of You and Lush Life. A conservatory trained pianist and composer, Khu's ability to play alternatively piano, guitar, organ and bass make this an unusual duo album. Their gospel-jazz take on the metal classic More Than Words is sure to be a stand-out.

Q&A

---

Jacqui Naylor - Live At The Plush Room

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:13
Size: 99.0 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2001
Art: Front

[2:56] 1. Love Me Or Leave Me
[5:25] 2. Ain't No Sunshine
[4:50] 3. I Got The Sun In The Morning
[3:01] 4. Blue Skies
[5:28] 5. Estate
[4:51] 6. My Baby Just Cares For Me
[4:24] 7. Lazy Afternoon
[3:14] 8. Time After Time
[5:56] 9. Playing Your Game Baby
[3:03] 10. It Could Happen To You

The second outing for West Coast singer Jacqui Naylor brings together live performances from San Francisco's Plush Room from February through July in 2001. While she continues down the same path established in her initial album, the delivery of good material in a simple, straightforward manner, there's been a slight expansion of her perspective by adding blues and come-hither accents. Live performances generally demand that the performer be more versatile than in the recording studio. This slight augmentation can be heard on such tunes as "Love Me or Leave Me" and a coy, now-you-see-it, now-you-don't sensuality on "Playing Your Game, Baby." Latin rhythms hold forth on "My Baby Just Cares for Me," where Naylor makes some clever, ear-catching alterations in the phrasing. But regardless of what's on the performance platter, Naylor never loses the smooth, smoky resonance that gives her voice its distinctive flavor. Since these performances were made over a period of five months, her supporting lineup varies over the course of the CD. Nonetheless, there is no diminishment in the caliber of the musicians, including Bob Johnson with his eloquent sax returns on "Blue Skies" and "Lazy Afternoon." There is a highly mellifluous interchange between Art Khu's piano and Thomas Williams' bass on "Ain't No Sunshine." Michael Bluestein's piano manages to flit and flirt behind Naylor without taking attention away from the vocalist on "I Got the Sun in the Morning." Adding value to the vocalizing while not intruding on it is the sign of a wise and accomplished accompanist. If her first two albums are any indication, another fine interpreter of American popular song has emerged in the San Francisco area in the person of Jacqui Naylor. ~Dave Nathan

Live At The Plush Room

---

Jacqui Naylor - Shelter

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:53
Size: 135,0 MB
Art: Front

(3:09)  1. Shelter
(3:15)  2. Before I'm  Gone
(4:52)  3. Miss You
(6:03)  4. I Remember You
(4:24)  5. Free My Love
(3:38)  6. All For You
(4:25)  7. Climb Higher
(3:45)  8. Winter
(5:03)  9. Take This Chance
(3:21) 10. Cheese Puff Daddy
(4:06) 11. If You Know Love
(4:38) 12. Love & Affection
(4:32) 13. Tired
(3:38) 14. Fall

There's a joke about jazz vocalists that goes like this: how many jazz singers does it take to sing "My Funny Valentine"? All of them. That joke is making fun of the countless jazz singers who insist on recording nothing but Tin Pan Alley warhorses that as great as they are have been recorded much too often over the years. But not all jazz singers have a warhorses-only policy, and risk-takers like Claire Martin, Cassandra Wilson, and the Philadelphia-based Lou Lanza are doing vocal jazz a huge favor by having adventurous, far-reaching repertoires that aren't limited to Tin Pan Alley. Jacqui Naylor is another risk-taking jazz vocalist with an interesting repertoire, but there's a catch: she's also a folk-rocker and her folk-rock side has the upper hand on Shelter. Naylor has been dividing her time between a folk-rock/adult alternative aesthetic and vocal jazz; she's compelling in both areas, but whether Naylor favors one or the other all depends on what a particular song calls for. 

Interestingly, the most jazz-oriented thing on Shelter is an interpretation of the Rolling Stones' "Miss You"; Naylor has no problem finding the tune's jazz potential, and her jazz side also prevails on Joan Armatrading's "Love and Affection" and the Billie Holiday-ish "All for You" (which Naylor co-wrote with pianist Art Khu). But most of the time, Naylor's folk-rock side wins out on Shelter. Most of the 11 songs she co-wrote with Khu for this album are more folk-rock than jazz, and folk-rock serves Naylor well on introspective tracks such as "Before I'm Gone" and "Free My Love." Some jazz snobs no doubt wish that Naylor would perform straight-ahead jazz exclusively, but she would be selling herself short if she did that and thankfully, Naylor doesn't sell herself short on the memorable Shelter. ~ Alex Henderson http://www.allmusic.com/album/shelter-mw0000597739

Personnel: Jacqui Naylor (vocals); Bob Johnson (saxophone); Matt Brubeck, Marika Hughes (cello); Art Khu, Michael Blustein (piano); Steve Erquiaga, Brian Pardo, Craig Green (guitar); Jon Evans, Todd Sickafoose (bass); Jason Lewis, Jan Jackson (drums); Emiliano Benevides (percussion); John Scott, Pat Shanks, Tina Zenon (background vocals).

Shelter

---

Jacqui Naylor - The Color Five

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:58
Size: 128,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:42)  1. Blue Moon
(3:19)  2. Hot Legs
(3:38)  3. Easy Ride From Here
(3:26)  4. Summertime
(3:56)  5. Love Gets In The Way
(3:10)  6. Sit And Rest A While
(3:22)  7. I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
(3:30)  8. History Of Love
(4:28)  9. You Don't Know What Love Is
(3:38) 10. Love For Sale
(3:11) 11. Angel of Mine
(3:20) 12. Lola
(5:08) 13. Losing My Religion
(3:12) 14. Drive On
(4:52) 15. Here's to Life

In many cases, the terms "acoustic-oriented" and "straightahead jazz" go hand in hand. Bop purists, in fact, have often gone out of their way to broadcast the fact that electric keyboards or an electric bass will never be heard on any of their recordings; they equate electric instruments with fusion and crossover jazz and acoustic instruments with bop, cool jazz, post-bop, Dixieland and swing. But when Jacqui Naylor calls her work "acoustic smashing," she isn't claiming to be a jazz purist; she has been blurring the lines between the vocal jazz/torch singing world and the folk-rock/adult alternative world, and she continues to blur those lines on The Color Five. This is an acoustic-friendly effort (although she does use some electric instruments when it's appropriate), but it is hardly a disc that adheres to an all-bop-all-the-time policy. Parts of this 2006 release is very jazz-oriented, especially "Here's to Life" (the gem that became Shirley Horn's theme song), "Blue Moon" and the warhorse "You Don't Know What Love Is." 

But more of a folk-rock/adult alternative approach prevails on "Sit and Rest a While" and "Easy Ride from Here," both of which Naylor co-wrote. On U2's "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For," Naylor successfully references Miles Davis' "All Blues" and her funky interpretation of Cole Porter's "Love for Sale" is consistently mindful of Bill Withers' "Use Me." Stylistically, Naylor wasn't easy to pin down on previous albums, and she isn't any easier to pin down stylistically on The Color Five. This CD won't win over jazz purists; The Color Five is an album for Shirley Horn, Anita O'Day, Billie Holiday and Julie London fans, but only if they also happen to be Tracy Chapman, Shawn Colvin and Sarah McLachlan fans and anyone who fits that description will find The Color Five to be an excellent addition to Naylor's catalog. ~ Alex Henderson  http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-color-five-mw0000734763

Personnel: Jacqui Naylor (vocals); Art Khu (guitar, piano, Fender Rhodes piano, Clavinet, organ); Josh Jones (drums, percussion); Caitlin Cornwell, Zoe Ellis (background vocals).

The Color Five

---

Jacqui Naylor - You Don't Know Jacq

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:13
Size: 142,9 MB
Art: Front

(3:26)  1. How Deep Is Your Love
(3:29)  2. This Is the Spot
(4:40)  3. Something Cool
(3:03)  4. Shelter
(2:44)  5. Rise Up
(3:00)  6. My Funny Valentine
(5:15)  7. Ain't No Sunshine
(2:49)  8. City By the Bay
(3:20)  9. Summertime
(3:23) 10. Celebrate Early and Often
(5:01) 11. Losing My Religion
(5:36) 12. Black Coffee
(3:34) 13. Dreamin' Big With You
(3:21) 14. Thank You Baby
(5:37) 15. Tell Me More and More and Then Some
(3:47) 16. Miss You

You Don't Know Jacq is all about Jacqui Naylor, exemplifying her vocal range, warm voice, interpretive qualities and style "Acoustic Smashing," which, in essence, means jazz standards done along rock/pop rhythm lines, or vice versa. The disc features new arrangements of the most requested songs from her previous six albums, as well as new material including the first single, "Celebrate Early and Often," now being used for many a wedding across the United States. You Don't Know Jacq is a fulfilling experience, showcasing Naylor's vocal ability and her talent for telling a story. No matter what musical context she puts herself in jazz, pop or rock she will turn it into a captivating narrative. She does so over a selection of songs from various musical styles. Naylor's specialty is tying the knot between clashing worlds of music, and she makes it work so wonderfully, giving new meaning to the tunes she interprets. Opening with the Bee Gees' "How Deep Is Your Love," Naylor makes it work with her unique and unusual phrasing. 

Never falling into the apparent traps of interpreting one of pop's most well-known and often-covered songs, she alters the feel, turning it into a true jazz song. She then takes a Doors-like approach to the Gershwin classic "Summertime," with Hammond organ a vital part of the accompaniment and a number of musical riffs familiar to Doors fans. Again, she makes it work; not as a tender/mellow piece but as a powerful and hot song running on overdrive. R.E.M.'s beautifully lyrical "Losing My religion" is delivered with unique phrasing and a slow Latin rhythm, the violins making it even more romantic and Naylor's R&B phrasing adding to the dramatic tension. "Black Coffee" features a new fusion bass line until the bridge, where Naylor brings the tune back to mainstream jazz. 

Sometimes a ballad with just piano accompaniment is enough, and here Naylor's voice is so rich, her phrasing is so enticing, that the song becomes both refreshing and relaxing. The most surprising arrangement is "My Funny Valentine," with a rubato gypsy violin intro fading into a smashing AC/DC rhythm section, reminiscent of a chase/thriller movie. "Ain't No Sunshine" is another standout, filled with positive energy. Naylor turns what most interpret as a torch song into a perfect and powerful song of hope. ~ Guy Zinger  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/you-dont-know-jacq-jacqui-naylor-ruby-star-records-review-by-guy-zinger.php
 

Personnel: Jacqui Naylor: vocals; Art Khu: acoustic guitar, electric guitar, piano, organ, background vocals; Michael Romanowski: acoustic guitar, recorder; Yoon Ki Chai: violin; Jon Evans: bass; Josh Jones: drums, percussion.

You Don't Know Jacq

---

Jacqui Naylor - Jacqui Naylor

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:06
Size: 118,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:36)  1. Lazybones
(4:54)  2. Nocturne
(3:11)  3. What A Little Moonlight Can Do
(3:01)  4. I Love You So
(6:07)  5. Tell Me More & More & Then Some
(4:05)  6. May I Come In?
(2:49)  7. The Way You Look Tonight
(5:47)  8. I Cover The Waterfront
(4:30)  9. Something Cool
(3:26) 10. Embraceable You
(3:01) 11. Can't Help Singing
(3:44) 12. In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning
(2:54) 13. Two Sleepy People

Another new bright entry in the vocal galaxy that covers the San Francisco Bay Area is Jacqui Naylor as she so ably demonstrates on her first album. Naylor immediately brings to mind the great Billie Holiday, whom she unabashedly admires. You can hear that poignancy of a wounded doe on such cuts as "I Cover the Waterfront" and "I Love You So." Her voice assumes light timbre on medium to up-tempo tunes such as "Two Sleepy People." This singer also has an unerring sense of rhythm, pitch and feel for the meaning of what she sings. She sways along on lilting, bouncing number as "Can't Help Singing" and "The Way You Look Tonight" and becomes innocently absorbing on "Something Cool." But what proves Naylor's singing so delightful and engaging is her understanding that the best way to put over a song is to sing it simply and straightforwardly. No swoops, hollers, grunts and other extraneous Babel on this CD. 

While this is Naylor's show, she gets outstanding help from her musicians who seem very tuned in to the mannerisms of the singer's style. Bob Johnson's smoky tenor helps set the stage for several of the tunes and adds an appropriate coda on others such as on a very pretty, world-weary "Nocturne." Other times his sax weaves in and around Naylor's voice, recalling the way Holiday and Lester Young meshed. Equally important contributions are made by steady pianist Andrew Ostwald, John Wiitala on bass and Tony Kaye's guitar. This is a fine first effort or second or third for that matter from this talented singer who showers special magic over a play list of familiar entries in the Great American Songbook as well on some less familiar material. Recommended. ~ Dave Nathan  http://www.allmusic.com/album/jacqui-naylor-mw0000597763

Jacqui Naylor

---

Jacqui Naylor - Live East/West CD 1 And CD 2

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:27 CD 1)
Time: 61:11 (CD 2)
Size: 111,3 MB (CD 1)
Size: 140,5 MB (CD 2)
Art: Front

CD 1

(3:17)  1. Thank You Baby
(4:25)  2. Once In A Lifetime
(3:38)  3. We'll Fly
(3:25)  4. For What It's Worth
(4:12)  5. Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow
(3:20)  6. Don't Let The Bastard Get You Down
(4:20)  7. My Funny Valentine
(4:11)  8. The Wind
(5:37)  9. But Not For Me
(3:52) 10. Julie's Song
(3:03) 11. It'll Be Fine
(5:01) 12. Me & Mr. Jones

CD 2

(3:18)  1. City By The Bay
(5:47)  2. Black Coffee
(4:02)  3. Angel
(5:25)  4. So Far Away
(8:00)  5. Calling You
(5:04)  6. Money
(4:15)  7. Before I'm Gone
(6:36)  8. Cheese Puff Dady
(3:10)  9. Peace In Our Lifetimes
(4:06) 10. No Moon At All
(5:12) 11. Christmas Ain't What It Used To Be
(6:10) 12. Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight

In the spirit of man bites dog, this is an album whose parts are greater than its sum. Jackie Naylor has a strong voice, good supporting players, a catchy "acoustic smashing" concept of singing the lyrics of one song to the tune of a second, and the freedom of stretching out in a double-disc live setting. But ultimately there's an uneven quality to 2005's Live East-West: Birdland/Yoshi's, with the fiery highlights diluted by too many lackluster and awkward moments. Naylor at her best possesses the rich vocal timbre of Billie Holiday (if not quite at the level of, say, Madeleine Peyroux) and the folk/rock passion of Carole King. The Holiday presence emerges strongly on "But Not For Me," which goes from traditional ballad to a syncopated beat and finally to a mid-tempo swing, and plenty of passion is injected into the original blues/rock "Don't Let The Bastard Get You Down." The "smashing" concept thankfully not overused to the point of wearing out its novelty can also provide some wild moments, such as "My Funny Valentine" performed to what (I believe) is an AC/DC-inspired vamp, and "Black Coffee" mixed with Led Zeppelin. 

Other "standards" run the range from Jimi Hendrix to Gershwin. The downside are moments like the evenhanded and unemotive vocals on "Once In A Lifetime," set to a Detroit-style oldies rock beat, and a rushed and forced feel to the arrangement of "For What It's Worth" to the beat of "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy." The worst part is many of these come early in the show, before she seems to unwind and get more passionate and playful with her audience. The supporting cast, when not providing simple accompaniments for low-key compositions like "Me And Mr. Jones," is first-rate nearly all the way. Pianist Ark Khu is the most prominent, with only one example being his mixing an excellent set of intense chord and runs on "So Far Away," but nearly everyone else has moments (with multiple guitarists and bass players, sorting everyone out for credit is a bit tricky). 

Drummer Micha Patri, aside from some of the ill-fitting "smashes," paces things well with support that is varied and interactive without intruding. Some may question whether Naylor is really an adult contemporary/folk singing merely borrowing a bit of jazz to accent her work, but her experimentation and variety far surpasses the likes of Norah Jones and others to whom such comparisons might be made. There's better and more heartfelt material to be heard on her earlier albums, but Live East-West still possesses enough strong qualities to reaffirm her talent. ~ Mark Sabbatini   http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=17511#.Uzsh8VdSvro

Personnel: Jacqui Naylor (vocals); Ark Khu (electric guitar, piano, organ); Michael Romanowski (steel guitar); Brian Pardo (nylon-string guitar); Jon Evans, Ugonna Okegwo, Emmanuel Vaughan- Lee (bass instrument); Josh Jones, Micha Patri (drums, percussion); Danny Gottlieb (drums); Alison Evans (background vocals)

Live East/West - East CD 1
Live East/West - West CD 2

---

Jacqui Naylor - Smashed For The Holidays

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 46:26
Size: 106.3 MB
Styles: Holiday
Year: 2007
Art: Front

[3:04] 1. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
[4:26] 2. Santa Baby
[3:21] 3. Celebrate Early And Often
[3:36] 4. Happy X'Mas (War Is Over)
[4:36] 5. What Child Is This
[3:01] 6. Thank You Baby
[3:52] 7. We Three Kings
[2:28] 8. The Christmas Song
[3:42] 9. Winter
[4:06] 10. Father Christmas
[3:09] 11. Silver Bells
[3:41] 12. Christmas Ain't What It Used To Be
[3:18] 13. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

With one foot in vocal jazz and the other in the world of singer/songwriters, folk-rock and adult alternative, Jacqui Naylor has never been easy to categorize -- and Smashed for the Holidays doesn't make her any easier to pin down. Not that it needs to; the fact that Naylor is so original and so hard to pigeonhole is a definite plus, and her risk-taking nature remains very much in evidence on this 2007 release. The title, Smashed for the Holidays is a clever double-entendre; those unfamiliar with her background will see that title and think of inebriation during the holiday season, but Naylor's fans will also think of what she calls "acoustic smashing" (her way of combining elements of different songs). However, this unorthodox Christmas album isn't always acoustic-oriented; parts of it are very amplified, including "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" (which combines that Christmas standard with the melody of Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Sweet Home Alabama"). Elsewhere, Naylor blends the lyrics of Christmas standards with Led Zeppelin melodies, employing "Babe, I'm Gonna Leave You" on "What Child Is This" and "D'yer Mak'er" on "Santa Baby" as well as "When the Levee Breaks" on "We Three Kings." Some parts of Smashed for the Holidays definitely rock (perhaps those parts could be called "electric smashing"), but the intimate, acoustic-oriented approach that Naylor is known for is very much in evidence on the Kinks' "Father Christmas" and jazz-minded performances of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" and Mel Tormé's "The Christmas Song." And whether a performance is more rock-minded or more jazz-minded, Naylor's stubbornly individualistic personality always comes through on Smashed for the Holidays -- which may very well go down in history as the most adventurous Christmas album of 2007.

Smashed For The Holidays

---