Queen Of Cups
ears & eyes, 2021
8/10
The vocalist, composer and pianist Lauren Lee made me a fan with 2019’s Windowsill, and this 3rd album as leader again impresses with her inimitable version of modern jazz in a solo environment.
“Cogitation” starts the listen with elegant piano alongside Lee’s warm scatting that brings an expressive and timeless jazz atmosphere, and this formula continues to the vocally layered and playful “Up In The Air”, as well as the frisky vocal acrobatics of the quirky “Mad House”.
The middle tracks offer us the sublime beauty and melodic landscape of “Another Reality”, while “Unity Village” flows with intricate keys and inviting singing that aligns with much harmony in the Pat Methany tune.
Moving deeper, “Boxes”, the best tune present, offers vivid storytelling amid a dreamy atmosphere, and “Cocoon” exits the listen with an intimate spirit as Lee showcases a haunting angle to her varied song craft.
An album that’s both bare and rich and never short on imagination, though several of the tracks were penned prior to the pandemic, many of them were penned during the height of Covid in 2020, and were placed under a microscope as Lee dissected them to the nth degree. A truly unique jazz experience, Queen Of Cups is an excellent starting point for those who want to familiarize themselves with this talented woman.
Travels well with: Diane Moser- Birdsongs; Anne Neikirk- Spring Shadows