The debut album from Colette Henry heralds the arrival of another jazz singer to be reckoned with on the Irish scene. What is most striking is the purity of her delivery and the warmth of her tone on a bunch of songs that thankfully avoid the usual treadmill of clapped-out classics. Her own compositions ‘Damaged Love’, ‘You Deserve Better’ and the title track suggest that Henry should also be taken seriously as a composer.
She is also an assured interpreter. See how she probes fresh depths in the Anthony Newley gem ‘Feeling Good’. She’s backed by appropriately intimate double bass and drums, with Johnny Taylor’s piano sparkling throughout. Better still, we get a jazz singer who doesn’t sound like she’s singing love songs to him/herself. Go fetch.