Krasno/Moore Project, Book of Queens, Concord Jazz ****

Like the finest whiskey seasoned in sherry casks made from American oak. But do remove your jazz snob digit from fundamental parts of your body first because it's groove that comes with a lifetime guarantee you'll be singing, humming, air …

Published: 21 Mar 2023. Updated: 13 months.

Like the finest whiskey seasoned in sherry casks made from American oak.

But do remove your jazz snob digit from fundamental parts of your body first because it's groove that comes with a lifetime guarantee you'll be singing, humming, air guitaring along to rather than posturing about.

Too many highlights to mention on Book of Queens but take tenor sax New Orleans great Branford Marsalis giving it a lot of earthy oomph on the Little Willie John song 'Fever' a smash for Peggy Lee. Or take a pit stop to settle yourself for the really high register organ line and all the piquant stops pulled out by Hammond B3 organist Eric Finland spluttering and splattering on the Billy Taylor classic associated with Nina Simone, 'I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free.'

Guitarist Eric Krasno (known for Lettuce and Soulive) teaming up with drummer Stanton Moore (Galactic) in this soulful rootsy celebration of women musicians recorded at the Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock and spans Billie Eilish, Aretha Franklin, H.E.R., Brittany Howard, Sharon Jones, Peggy Lee, Kacey Musgraves, Nina Simone and Amy Winehouse songs.

Stanton is majestic whether strutting on Billie Eilish's 'Lost Cause' or rolling in the deep into Kacey Musgraves song 'Slow Burn'. The whole thing ages beautifully. Photo: detail from the cover art

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Marie Mørck, Songs to Comfort, Marie Mørck/Zack's Music ***

Landing somewhere between the sound of Blossom Dearie and Monica Zetterlund singing with a very American sounding English accent Danish singer Marie Mørck is a retro quite often pingingly pure jazz singer who has been around a little while, …

Published: 21 Mar 2023. Updated: 13 months.

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Landing somewhere between the sound of Blossom Dearie and Monica Zetterlund singing with a very American sounding English accent Danish singer Marie Mørck is a retro quite often pingingly pure jazz singer who has been around a little while, debuting with Fooling Around in 2019.

Zesty, full of spirit and a tonic in that regard certainly songs are mainly in English - a Danish language song at the end translated as 'In the Middle of a Dream' is one of the picks. The title track, ''song'' in the singular, is the best thing here. The other originals don't cry out for instant replay as much.

The instrumental arrangements are a little too trad. And the accordion accompaniment on 'Secret Reverie' seems as if it belongs on another record entirely.

The treatment of the Frank Loesser song 'Never Will I Marry' (sung in the 1960s by among others Nancy Wilson, Judy Garland and Barbra Streisand) and more recently and much more compellingly to be frank by Cécile McLorin Salvant on the singer's 2017 album Dreams and Daggers is nevertheless listenable to.

Out on Friday. 'On My Way to Nowhere' and 'Never Will I Marry' are among tracks streaming ahead of the full release. Marie Mørck photo: press