STACEY KENT - The Boy Next Door (2003) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Wrapping her sweet voice around songs by male singers she admires, Stacey Kent delivers another pleasant and low-key album with The Boy Next Door. Kent's tribute choices range from traditional pop (Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett) to mainstream jazz instrumentalists (Dave Brubeck, Dizzy Gillespie) to the softer side of rock (James Taylor, Simon and -- unmentioned in the liner notes -- Garfunkel). With a gentle conviction akin to early Blossom Dearie without the cheeky flair, the album makes for breezy listening. The 16 tracks don't differ enough in tone, making the album a bit too long, but individual moments of warm openhearted excellence make it worthwhile. The sentimentality of "Bookends" or "'Tis Autumn" suit her precious delivery well, while the sly moments of "Makin' Whoopee" feel out of the singer's reach. The bandmembers stay out of the way for the most part, waiting for their solos rather than interacting much with Kent. Drummer Matt Home's light but lively style is especially accommodating and guitarist Colin Oxley's percussive take on "Too Darn Hot" ends up being the album's greatest moment. by David Jeffries

Tracklist:

1 The Best Is Yet To Come 3:24
Written-By – Carolyn Leigh, Cy Coleman
2 The Boy Next Door 3:38
Written-By – Hugh Martin, Ralph Blane
3 The Trolley Song 4:00
Written-By – Hugh Martin, Ralph Blane
4 Say It Isn't So 4:39
Written-By – Irving Berlin
5 Too Darn Hot 3:25
Written-By – Cole Porter
6 Makin' Whoopee 3:03
Written-By – Walter Donaldson
7 What The World Needs Now Is Love 4:07
Written-By – Burt Bacharach & Hal David
8 You've Got A Friend 4:18
Written-By – Carole King
9 I Got It Bad 4:52
Written-By – Duke Ellington, Paul Francis Webster
10 Ooh-Shoo-Be-Doo-Bee 3:01
Written-By – Bill Graham, Joe Carroll
11 People Will Say We`re In Love 3:42
Written-By – Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein II
12 'Tis Autumn 4:26
Written-By – Harry Nemo
13 All I Do Is Dream Of You 3:22
Written-By – Arthur Freed, Nacio Harb Brown
14 I Get Along Without You Very Well
Written-By – Hoagy Carmichael
15 You're The Top 2:26
Written-By – Cole Porter
16 Bookends 1:06
Written-By – Paul Simon
Credits:
Double Bass – Dave Chamberlain
Drums – Matt Home
Guitar – Colin Oxley
Piano, Keyboards, Backing Vocals – David Newton
Producer, Vocals, Saxophone – Jim Tomlinson
Vocals – Stacey Kent