(Jazz,Vocal jazz) Kathy Kosins - Vintage - 2005, MP3, 192 kbps

By John Stevenson, ejazznews, London
“Kathy Kosins - Vintage (Mahogany Jazz/Vintage)
On Vintage, Kathy Kosins plunges into a rarely explored area of standards, and emerges with a handful of well-crafted melodic pearls. Her alluring declamations bring freshness to the lightly swinging "Tiptoe Gently". A teasing, sensual approach comes across to good effect on Russell Garcia's "Go Slow", where Kathy drags seductive lyrics across a decelerated tango.
Jazz singing is pretty much about the ability to tell a story. Not just to impress with vocal acrobatics; Kosins succeeds in both aspects nonetheless. A good example of this is on "Nice Girls Don't Stay For Breakfast". The listener is led to believe she's the wholesome lass - until, in the very last line she asks for the jam. Kosins has blue-eyed soul aplenty, no doubt acquired from her native Motor City upbringing.
Her straightahead jazz reading of "Get Here" is as impassioned as Brenda Russell's, and she blends some old skool, skankin' reggae with a groovy swing on the original "I Can't Change You". The success of any singer is equal parts vocal mastery and equal parts musician team. Her first-rate team do not disappoint. Aaron Goldberg handles the keyboards deftly, while Caribbean bass sensation Reuben Rogers walks the bass with a cool, loping gait. Eric Harland keeps time like a Swiss watch. Trumpeter Jeremy Pelt and woodwinds specialist John Ellis are magisterial on their respective horns. “