If (When You Go)
Slead Head, 2023
8/10
Previously a trapeze artist, these days the jazz vocalist Kari Kirkland stays closer to the ground with her timeless and well thought out song craft that brings 8 contemporary covers of tunes that hosts plenty of esteemed musicians.
“I Can’t Help It” opens the listen with Carlitos del Puerto’s playful bass complementing Kirkland’s agile and flowing pipes, and “Since I Fell For You” follows with an intimate spirit of poetic, stirring song craft that benefits from Shelly Berg’s warm keys.
“Fragile” lands in the middle, and recruits cultured melodies thanks to Peter Erskine’s diverse drumming and Brian Kilgore’s skilled percussion, while “Good Things Fall Apart” is full of radiant, lush textures of beauty and grace.
Landing close to the end, “I Didn’t Mean To Turn You On” emits bright brass amid the soulful, seductive pipes, and “Lover, You Should’ve Come Over” exits with a soaring, R&B tinted finish that showcases Kirkland’s versatility and memorableness.
Kirkland truly makes all these songs her own, and the strategic use of saxophones (David Mason and Jason Arkins), trumpet (Camilo Molina) and trombone (Brandon Bryant) only add to the sophisticated appeal.
Travels well with: Roberta Donnay- Blossom-ing!; Melissa Stylianou- Dream Dancing