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Acoustic Music/FAME Review

Ryan is top drawer professional and jazzily perfectionistic to a 'T', polished and vibrant, able to combine smooth delivery with almost unnerving confidence. When Chris Loudon of JazzTimes notes she's "one of the outstanding jazz vocalists of her generation and quite possibly of all time", the praise at first seems excessive...but it's not, not at all. Jackie Ryan is one of the greats, no two ways about it. This is her seventh release, and it's time the rest of the world caught up. Perhaps this will be the disc to garner the broad platform she very much deserves; the exceptional will always stand out.

Each cut here is its own world. The musicians here are sensitive, elegant, and never once take the foreground away. Joel Moss, a legendary figure on the tech side of the house, outdoes himself here, catching every note, chord, and overtone with consummate grace and discretion. Especially with a voice as embracing as Ryan's, with her ability to shift atmospheric coloration and emotional hues, this is exceedingly important. My favorite cut? Ryan's version of La Puerta knocked me backwards, melting into the floor, a beautifully stripped-down duet between her and guitarist Graham Dechter that lays naked the subtleties and melodiousness of her talent.

— Mark S. Tucker, Acoustic Music/FAME

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