Pirate Jenny
The Audiophile Society, 2025
8/10
The singer and actress Ute Lemper celebrates Kurt Weill’s 125th birthday with her updated and glowing version of songs that are still very much relevant today.
“Mack The Knife” gets the listen off to a stylish start, where Lemper’s seductive voice is met with well timed sax and a late night ambience, and “Speak Low” follows with the expressive pipes alongside crisp, synthetic drums and flowing strings.
“My Ship” and “Pirate Jenny” occupy the middle spots. The former emits soft melodies via the mysterious delivery, while the latter is a frisky moment of layered vocals and pop ideas that unfold with playfulness.
Close to the end, “Die Ballade von ertrunkenen Madchen” is a lush and rich album highlight of timeless jazz song craft, and “Salomon Song” exits with sultry vocals and lively beats guiding the memorable finish.
An accomplished tribute, Lemper performs like she’s in a smoky Berlin jazz club, and the grooves and melodies certainly do justice to Weill’s work.
Travels well with: Jospeh Turrin/Richard Einhorn/Gilda Lyons- Crimson Roses; Laird Jackson- Life