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
HENRY BUTLER, STEVE BERNSTEIN AND THE HOT 9
VIPER'S DRAG
Johanna Sillanpaa
From This Side
MELODY GARDOT
Worrisome Heart
Alex Garcia’s AFROMANTRA
Uplifting Spirit
WYNTON MARSALIS
SELECTIONS FROM SWINGING INTO THE 21'ST
Cilantro Boombox
Shine
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.