CD Review: Lauren Kinhan – Circle in a Square

Lauren Kinhan – vocal; Andy Ezrin – piano, Fender Rhodes & B3 organ; Ben Wittman – drums & percussion; David Finck – bass; Will Lee – bass.

Special guests: Randy Brecker – trumpet; Romero Lubambo – guitar; Chuck Loeb – guitar; Donny McCaslin – tenor saxophone; Joel Frahm – tenor saxophone; Gary Versace – accordion; Peter Eldridge – piano.

(Review by Debra Milne).

Lauren Kinhan is an established  American jazz singer and songwriter, best known  for her  longstanding involvement in New York Voices , and also as a member of  ‘vocal supergroups’  Moss and  JaLaLa, the latter a trio with Manhattan Transfer ‘s  Janis Siegel and Laurel Masse. Circle In A Square is her 3^rd solo album, and is composed of entirely original material, recorded with a core of longstanding musical collaborators and a host of special guests. She  co-produced the project with Elliott Scheiner , whose  previous credits  include  albums with Steely Dan,  Sting, Paul Simon & BB King , and no less than 7 Grammys. 

The album showcases Kinhan’s   soul  infused  jazz voice, particularly  in  the up  tempo numbers. However, the  first and  title track, inspired by her husband’s love of his record collection,   starts  quietly with  Brecker  & Ezrin accompanying sparingly on trumpet and  Fender Rhodes , before the rhythm section kicks in with a laid back groove. I’m Looking For That Number is particularly funky, augmented by a punchy horn section, with one of several great solos from Ezrin, this  time  on B3 organ .  Kinhan’s  soulful delivery is  particularly  effective  in Another Hill To Climb,  where  the  piano and string quartet augment  the developing emotion of  the vocal.  In contrast, Chasing The Sun is a rhythmic, groove based, Latin infused, wordless piece, composed of  layers of voices and instruments, overlaid  with scat  improvisation and Romero Lubambo’s  solo on guitar. 

A  straightforward  piano trio  suffices in  the contemplative We’re Not Going Anywhere Today, and her excellent intonation and scatting  are highlights of the  bebop style Bear Walk, which also features  a  fine electric bass solo from Will Lee,  and Randy Brecker on trumpet.  Kinhan  makes a distinctive contribution to the shoe- related musical canon  with Chaussure’s Complex, a sensuous tango featuring Gary Versace on accordion , although  it is unlikely to  displace Kirsty McColl, Paul Simon or  Elvis Costello  as  leaders of the  Footwear Top Ten*. Nevertheless, Circle In A Square is an impressive  album, which  captures  this  singer and composer  in  the prime of her musical career.

[*In These Shoes?; Diamonds In The Sole Of Her Shoes; The Angels Wanna Wear My Red Shoes]

Lauren Kinhan: Circle in a Square is available on Dotted i Records. Sample.

Debra M.