Walk On By
Self-Released, 2025
8/10
The vocalist, songwriter and arranger Kristina Koller reimagines the Burt Bacharach songbook here with a fusion quality that’s modern and infectious.
The warm and mature “I’ll Never Fall In Love Again” opens with Fima Chupakhin’s elegant keys that suit Koller’s pretty pipes, and “Close To You” follows with Cory Cox’s agile drumming that complements the soft melodies and emotive vocals.
The duet, “That’s What Friends Are For”, then pairs Rosemary Minkler’s expressive voice with Koller’s cozy delivery, while “Don’t Make Me Over” showcases James Robbins’ sublime bass playing amid the dreamy and intimate album highlight.
Residing close to the end, “Loving Is A Way Of Living” allows for Chupakin’s gorgeous keys to radiate tremendous beauty via the heartfelt climate, and “What The World Needs Now” exits with a lush and harmonic display of timeless songwriting that’s executed with much appreciation for jazz.
Most of us have heard these songs before, but they’ve never sounded quite like this, as Koller preserves Bacharach’s legacy put also puts her own, diverse spin on the classics.
Travels well with: Judy Whitmore- Let’s Fall In Love; Deb Bowman- Reflection