Dreamsville

Stacey Kent has given jazz singing a huge fillip in the last two years. She has swiftly become the favourite of musicians and ordinary listeners alike. Her work has also defined the field, for she is not aiming, as are most other singers, at a "cabaret" or "night club" audience. Stacey Kent is a committed jazz singer as were Lee Wiley and Billie Holiday before her. She also has musical qualities in common with those two. This album is made up entirely of ballads, the singer's forté, and this far-sighted idea pays off generously. Her versions of these classics are awash with ingenious invention and her inspired timing is unique. It was an imaginative idea to put the verse of "I've Got A Crush On You" in the middle of the song instead of at the beginning. But that sort of thinking abounds in an album that is destined to become a classic. Miss Kent has the advantage of superior accompaniment, provided by her husband Jim Tomlinson on reeds and by the Dave Newton Trio. --Steve Voce

Détentrice d'un prestigieux British Jazz Award, aussi célèbre dans les pays scandinaves qu'aux États-Unis, la jeune Anglaise Stacey Kent mérite d'être mieux connue en France. Dreamsville, son quatrième album n'offre à entendre que des ballades. Stacey les chante avec juste ce qu'il faut d'émotion pour provoquer la nôtre. Sa voix sensible à la diction impeccable est celle d'une jeune fille en fleur. C'est encore la période Verve de Blossom Dearie qu'elle évoque le plus. Accompagnée par ses musiciens habituels, David Newton au piano, Colin Oxley à la guitare, Jim Tomlinson au ténor mais aussi à la flûte ou à la clarinette, reprenant des mélodies de George Gershwin, Richard Rodgers, Henry Mancini, Johnny Mandel qui trouvent ici leur interprète idéale, Stacey Kent parvient totalement à convaincre. --Pierre de Chocqueuse

...Dreamsville is a superb addition to an already highly distinguished series of albums by one of the finest intepreters of a song since Ella Fitzgerald.

The New York Native who Resides in England is a Formidable Presence on the Modern Jazz Scene. This is her Fourth Album Exploring the Standards and the Reviews have all Been Sterling. The Emphasis Here is on the Ballads and her Breathy Emphasis and Phrasing Are Nothing Less Than Spectacular and Riveting. Her Vocals Are Not "Dressed Up" Or Enhanced by Studio Technique. What You Get is Pure, Raw Singing Talent that Shines Like a Fine Jewel.