Love Is...The Tender Trap

Stacy Kent has a voice like the great Dinah Washington's, immediate in its grab of the ear and incisive in its tonal shape. Kent's middle range has a washing quality that pushes the edges forward, even as the edges lilt upward or warble excitedly. Kent and her British band--virtual unknowns prior to this debut--are sure to splash big, with their spare ballad approach (as on Duke Ellington and Bob Russell's "I Didn't Know About You") or their rumbling swing on George Gershwin's "They All Laughed." Pianist David Newton glides across melodies with a light touch but then launches sparkling solos full of funky harmonics--hear "The Tender Trap" for Kent and Newton's mix of charming voice and odd pianism. The band is creative enough to feel at ease reaching into great instrumental passages, giving Kent a first-class platform from which to cue up phrasing that nods to Ella Fitzgerald and a unique, fetching overall style all her own. --Andrew Bartlett