StringSongs
Self-Released, 2022
8/10
The Canadian vocalist Laura Crema brings her diverse pipes to Bill Coon’s award winning guitar playing on this very eclectic listen that welcomes Peggy Lee and John Bentley for the 9 originals.
“Arrow And The Song” gets the listen off to a gorgeous, dreamy start, where Crema’s mesmerizing voice is met with Coon’s soothing nylon guitar, and “Blue Mist” follows with Bentley’s soulful tenor sax complementing the expressive, poetic singing of the the darker song craft.
In the middle, “Heart Flame” moves with an intimate and elegant spirit of that benefits much from Lee’s well timed cello, while “Frolic” glows with hypnotic guitar alongside Crema’s pretty singing.
Further still, “Happy Place” showcases playful vocal scatting amid the spirited guitar, and “Whisper Me” follows with cautiously plucked cello and a lush delivery that nearly sounds like a lullaby.
A superb listen where each tune welcomes its own mood, tone and range of influences, Cream, Coon and company mix jazz, Latin, country and folk ideas into an inimitable formula that you can’t listen to just once.
Travels well with: Deb Rasmussen- Unspoken; Kate Wyatt- Artifact