About Last Night
Self-Released, 2023
8/10
The Minneapolis artist Leslie Vincent brings us originals, jazz standards and Broadway classics to this powerful listen that brings plenty of strings and brass to the timeless formula.
“Psychedelics With You” starts the listen with plenty of retro jazz fun that benefits from Mitch Van Laar’s roaring trumpet and Vincent’s playful voice, and “What’ll I Do?” follows with a calm pace of intimate singing and Ted Godbout’s warm piano playing.
At the halfway point, “No Moon At All” spotlights Ben Ehrlich’s frisky drumming amid the sensual pipes, while “Stars Fell On Alabama” welcomes cinematic strings from Mary Alice Hutton, Stephanie Skor, Niloofar Sohi and Rosa Thompson-Vieira that helps cultivate a very poetic album highlight.
Close to the end, “Black Coffee” thumps a little louder with Tommy Boynton’s meticulous guitar and Matt McIntyre’s strategic bass, and “This Time The Dream’s On Me” exits with mesmerizing keys and a sublime dreaminess that injects soulful brass later on.
Vincent has a history in musical theater, and can interpret the Great American Songbook like few others can. With the immense talent present here, she delivers a quirky, sweet and skilled body of work that spans several decades of influence that, similarly, will be relevant for decades to come.
Travels well with: Mary Strand- Golden Girl; Brynn Andre- Honeymoon