Sings
Jazznote, 2023
8/10
The pianist and Singapore’s ‘King of Swing’, Jeremy Monteiro, has 46 years of playing music under his belt, and this first full vocal album finds him in the company of Tony Lakatos, Wesley Gehring, Jens Bunge, Ben Poh and Hong Chanutr Techatananan.
The cozy and soulful “Candy” opens the listen with Monteiro’s smooth voice alongside Gehring’s warm guitar and Lakatos’ lovely sax, and “Smile” follows with elegant strings providing a dreamy backdrop amid Poh’s soft bass and the heartfelt singing.
The middle tracks belong to “Moon River” and “Blame It On My Youth”, where the former recruits Bunge’s spirited harmonica that complements Monteiro’s eloquent pipes, while the latter exhibits much tenderness that suits the intimate vocals and emotive keys thanks to Monteiro.
Moving towards the end, “Walkin My Baby Back Home” is an upbeat and frisky moment that makes great use of Techatananan’s fluid drumming, and “Softly As I Leave You” exits with a romantic and powerful finish of soaring strings and poetic singing.
This is Monteiro’s 47th recording, and let’s hope it's not his only with vocals, cause his take on these classics and the lone original sure to do sound great thanks to his inviting singing.
Travels well with: Jim Self- Touch And Go; Grant Geissman- Blooz