Smash
Patricia Barber
Keywords
Reviews (2)
JazzTimes
d. 22. Dec. 2014
By
By
Christopher Loudon
d. 22. Dec. 2014
"The mood is soft and easy, Stylianou and company settling into a smoky, half-past-midnight coziness. Her readings are invariably cunning, with all five bandmates crafting integrally thoughtful abetment: the gently propulsive bassline Oh floats beneath "I Wish I Knew," the subdued wistfulness of Cohen's clarinet on "I'll Never Be the Same," the fairytale lilt of Barth and Wilson's interplay on "Polka Dots and Moonbeams," the fluttering yearn of Drewes' sax on "I Got It Bad." Smart. Seamless. Stunning".
DownBeat
2015 February
By
By
James Hale
2015 February
"Stylianou's voice is not particularly memorable; she has a conversational delivery, beauriful diction and nicely blended phrasing. But, while she may not have the distinctive tone of Cassandra Wilson or the risk-taking technique of Cécile McLorin Salvant, Stylianou sounds self-assured, and her approach is ideal for a narrative song like "A Nightingale Can Sing The Blues". The no-frills, very human quality of her singing suits the stripped-sown setting well, and the four solo spots by Anat Cohen and Billy Drewes add just enough textural depth without distracting from Stylianou's starring role".