Lauren Kinhan’s A Sleepin’ Bee Honors Nancy Wilson by being herself

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THE 30 TOP RECORDINGS OF 2017 -JAZZ AROUND TOWN by Scott Yanow

Material from Wilson's classic collaboration with (and a handful of other albums) is saluted and remodeled as Kinhan invests each song with her own creative perspective. It's a work rich with invention and focused intentions, neither fitting nor breaking a mold, but rather, reshaping one…Every single song in this collection hits a sweet spot of a different sort, but the most pleasing aspect of the recording is how it uncovers the stripped-down, soulful side of Kinhan's voice. With the raw emotionality of "(You Don't Know) How Glad I Am" now held up as the prime example, it's something that's impossible to forget about it. Add to that some other known and unknown aspects of her work— brilliance in interpreting ballads, off-the-cuff maneuvers in bluesy and bawdy environments, whip-smart interactions with the instrumentalists—and you end up with a complete picture of her talents and the manners in which she claims these songs as her own. - All About Jazz, Dan Bilawsky

Kinhan does not attempt to copy Wilson’s singing style, although there are moments when the influence is naturally felt. Her singing is much more extroverted, hight-powered and jazz-oriented with plenty of wild scatting that Wilson never would have attempted. - Downbeat Magazine, Scott Yanow

Frank Loesser’s Never Will I Marry has Lauren in ‘Diva’ mode as she stretches, manipulates and torments the melody and lyrics in a version which would astonish the composer! - BeBop Spoken Here

Her approach to the material is anything but conventional; with her big, flexible voice, Kinhan brings the passion of a soul singer to the improvisatory reach of a jazz diva. The powerful combination transforms classics like “Never Will I Marry” and “Save Your Love For Me” from charming tunes into personal declarations of creative independence. - New York City Jazz Record, Suzanne Lorge The elegance of the vocals by Lauren Kinhan, whether she is twisting and turning her voice to wrap it around ballads or swinging it around racier numbers, becomes part of a natural bluesy landscape that mixes beauty and sadness, imposing grandeur and the drama of earthy, visceral passion. In doing so she delivers a hugely powerful, at times even a gospel- soaked album of songs. And with an almost childlike, quivering tremolo at the end of perfectly chosen lines Miss Kinhan’s mellifluous timbre beguiles in these spacious arrangements of songs, taking us into a place of deep emotion with trusted and both inspiring and inspired musical friends. - JazzdaGama, Raul da Gama

New York Voices founder Lauren Kinhan follows up her 2014 releaseCircle in a Square (Self Produced) with the excellent A Sleepin' Bee, a recording devoted to Nancy Wilson and her famous collaboration with Julian "Cannonball" Adderley during the beginning of Wilson's career. Kinhan doubles down on these standards, delivering two-fisted interpretations, even on the ballads ("Guess Who I Saw Today" and "Passion Flower"). Pianist Andy Ezrin provides a solid foundation upon which Kinhan can erect her tribute. "You Don't Know How Glad I Am" is all church. Ezrin divines every bit of gospel R&B from the composition and Kinhan rises to the challenge of the song. The singer brings the same fire, smoldering, to "You don't Know What Love Is," before capping the project with a beautifully boozy deconstruction of "Happy Talk." Great Performance! - All About Jazz, C. Michael Bailey

Performing a tribute to a great artist is always a tricky business. You don’t want to imitate, but you do want to show how much you’ve been inspired by the artist you’re celebrating. You're thanking the artist for all the echoes of the artist in your own voice. And that’s what so lovingly resounds in the voice of Lauren Kinhan on A Sleepin’ Bee, her tribute to Nancy Wilson…She’s re-created the arrangements in her own ways, but Nancy’s “bite” certainly comes through. Nancy sings Frank Loesser’s “Never Will I Marry” with Cannonball at a quicker tempo and much more joyously than Lauren’s much more seductively teasing come- on. Nancy sings Buddy Johnson’s “Save Your Love For Me” more longingly and more hauntingly than Lauren’s much more thoughtful (and convincing) plea to be loved. Nancy always has said that you can always hear the cry of Jimmy Scott in her voice. And on A Sleepin’ Bee, though you don't hear, imitatively, the sound of Nancy Wilson, you can enjoy plenty of Nancy’s style echoing in the singing of Lauren Kinhan. - WBGO, Michael Bourne

Kinhan has made these songs her own, just as Wilson did back in the early 1960s. Kinhan takes plenty of chances, adding a vocalese chorus to “Let’s Live Again” and combining “Passion Flower” with “The Old Country”, yet she is a progressive artist who has built most of her exalted reputation by experimenting and stretching boundaries, creating a unique tribute which follows Nancy Wilson’s lead by finding new pathways through established repertoire. - Jazz History Online, Tom Cunniffe

Putting her formidable vocal chops all the way to the metal, everybody is honored by the festivities on display here. A smoking treat for all classic jazz vocal fans. - Midwest Record, Chris Spector, Editor and Publisher