
LAUREN HENDERSON is a New York based jazz singer whose latest album ‘Musa’ is garnering plenty of attention from the savvy jazz stations and specialist streaming/podcast services. It’s easy to hear why; the 10 tracker offers plenty of programming variety with its subtle blend of covers and originals, while Lauren’s delivery is perfectly suited to jazz radio. She admits she’s not a “belter” rather, she describes her approach as “nuanced”. She believes in “saying more with less”.
That approach works beautifully on classics like Cole Porter’s ‘I Concentrate On You’ and Richard Rogers’ ‘The Sweetest Sound’. Lauren’s subtlety is perhaps most apparent on the Puerto Rican classic ‘Corazon, No Llores’… a sweet and soothing Latin vibe which is repeated on Ms Henderson’s own ‘Luz’ and the edgier title track.
Amongst other highlights is the LP closer. ‘Leeward (Love)’ which features spoken word input from Broadway actor Daniel J Watts. Sullivan Fortner’s piano is a delight here (as indeed it is throughout the 11 tracker). So back to where we started: little wonder that Lauren Henderson’s ‘Musa’ is all over jazz radio. It’s out now.