Canadian singing treasure Jill Barber has yet to receive the attention she deserves in the U.S. This two-time Juno Award nominee and Montreal Jazz Fest headliner is considered a jazz singer, but that’s a limiting label and not entirely true. Yes, “Lucky in Love” and “Darlin’ It Was You” certainly fall under that category, but “Broken for Good” features a driving Motown groove that’s highlighted by a sparse, smart arrangement that makes room for a backing choir, strings, horns, and guitars, all without cluttering the sound. Credit Barber’s longtime collaborators and bandmates, Les Cooper and Drew Jurecka, for producing Barber with complete respect for her voice and songwriting. As always, the songs on Fool’s Gold aim for a classic sound that meets Barber’s hopes that “it ends up becoming the soundtrack to some perfect romance, or at the very least a great cocktail party.” Songs such as “The Least That She Deserves,” “Let’s Call It Love," and “Only You” belong on a good date, while “The Careless One” is designed as a heartbreaker that Frank Sinatra would’ve covered.
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- 2023
- Henry Kaiser
- Now's The Time Jazz Trio
- Flora Ware
- Zoot Sims
- Sophie Milman
- Tim Sars
- Elizabeth Shepherd