Olivia Dean, Messy, EMI ****

Heard with jazz pianist Deschanel Gordon providing the soul-gospelly soaked chords on keys to her side among the copious Glastonbury TV coverage last weekend on album track 'The Hardest Part' Olivia Dean is not a jazz singer - but I guess Dean …

Published: 30 Jun 2023. Updated: 10 months.

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Heard with jazz pianist Deschanel Gordon providing the soul-gospelly soaked chords on keys to her side among the copious Glastonbury TV coverage last weekend on album track 'The Hardest Part' Olivia Dean is not a jazz singer - but I guess Dean whose voice is a little like Alicia Keys could sing jazz if she wants to and makes a huge splash with Messy.

  • And check out the even better ramped up live at the Jazz Cafe version in Camden from two years ago with Deschanel again in Olivia's full band.

Other songs to gravitate towards on Messy most on what is an Aqualung, Aston Rudi, Bastian Langebæk et al produced affair is the torch song 'Dangerously Easy' Dean's voice matched with keyboards. Tearjerker 'No Man' contains the best lyrics. A grown-up mellow, melodic, soulful, loose and human collection of songs that seems only a blink away from being completely ubiquitous on the more credible mainstream commercial radio stations - what's not to like?

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Best new jazz albums - reviewed this month

Click on each entry below for a review and full details: Album of the month: 1 Colour of Sound - the full release is in a few weeks' time 2 Dream Box 3 The Omnichord Real Book 4 Pédron Rubalcaba 5 The Red Door 6 Anyone's Quiet Let It Rain …

Published: 30 Jun 2023. Updated: 10 months.

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Click on each entry below for a review and full details:

Album of the month:

1 Colour of Sound - the full release is in a few weeks' time

2 Dream Box

3 The Omnichord Real Book

4 Pédron Rubalcaba

5 The Red Door

6 Anyone's Quiet Let It Rain To You the full release is in a few weeks' time

7 Lucky Teeth

8 Impressions of Ella

9 The Now

10 Undercover

Zoe Rahman, top. Photo: press

  • Analysis of the list - a lot of pianist leaders appear this month. The top newcomer is Noah Stoneman. And the majority of releases are issued by independent labels.