2014-04-06
Hong Kong's Ginger Kwan serves up themes of hope and inspiration on her debut, Kwantum Leap. Smooth jazz backs this vocalist's buoyant lyrics, occasionally delving into reggae ("I Keep In the Line") and bossa nova ("Someday"). All the songs here are original compositions except for the cover of Simply Red's "Your Mirror"; a song with a positive message supported by simple acoustic guitar and finger-snapping. Ms. Kwan's vocals here are lovely, the musicianship is spot-on, and the production is top-notch. It all comes off as rather bland, however. If you like easy-listening vocal jazz that doesn't take risks, you might like this one. Rebecca Ruth
ETIENNE CHARLES
Kaiso
Various Artists
Upstairs at Larry's: Lawrence Welk Uncorked
PEARL DJANGO
Modern Times
AZAR LAWRENCE
Prayer For My Ancestors
Bobby Previte
The Coalition of the Willing
NICHOLAS PAYTON
Bitches
The opinions expressed in these reviews are those of the individual volunteers that submitted the article and do not necessarily reflect the views of WYCE or GRCMC; nor its staff, donors, or affiliates.