Halie Loren - Heart First

To contact us Click HERE
Halie Loren – HeartFirst
2012, White Moon ProductionsVocal jazz is full ingénues and established stars.  Those who make it from the former to thelatter are rare.  It takes a tremendoussound, an incredible amount of hard work and yes, a little bit of luck.  Halie Loren is slowly transforming herselffrom the former to the latter.  Already astar in Japan, the release of Heart Firstthis spring saw Loren become a top-selling Jazz artist in Canada.  The U.S. may not be far behind as Lorencontinues to build recognition for both her name and what may one day beconsidered her iconic voice.Heart First openswith “A Woman’s Way”, showing off a wonderfully lush and smoky alto voice thatgets you from the opening notes.  Thesong calls for vocal character, and Loren matches the call both withpersonality and a shifting palette of intriguing vocal timbres.  Halie Loren is at her best here, portrayingthe knowing vulnerability of a Billie Holliday mixed with the pure affabilityof Harry Connick, Jr.  “C’est Si Bon” isbrilliant, with Loren singing in French as if it were her first language.  Loren switches gears to 1970’s R&B (alaDionne Warwick) on “Waiting In Vain”. Loren offers up a top-notch vocal, but the song itself fails to impressdue to its repetitive nature and cookie-cutter style.After a brief tour into Latin sounds for “Sway (QuienSera)”, Halie Loren gets down to brass tacks for “Heart First”.  She’s entirely in her element here, with abluesy-jazz sound and outstanding accompaniment from pianist Matthew Treder.  This is an all-around WOW moment.  Loren’s fine talent as an interpreter of classic songs is onfull display in “My One And Only Love”. Perfect phrasing, wonderful timbres and an elegant sense of musicaltiming make this a sublime moment.  Lorensettles in for a solid run through songs such as “All Of Me”, the funky “TenderTo The Touch”, “Lotta Love” and “In Time”. “Taking A Chance On Love” rises above this pack as Halie Loren onceagain applies her interpretive magic. Rounding the final turn for home, Loren launches into a masterfulreading of Charlie Chaplin’s “Smile”. Singing like the song was written just for her, Loren captures theco-mingled sorrow and happiness in a bit of vocal magic that is among thefinest moments in Jazz in 2012.  Mostartists would end here, but Loren has one more trick up her sleeve.  Stripping everything away and singing withjust acoustic guitar, bass and minimalist percussion, Loren finds anotherperfect moment on “Crazy Love”.  This isone of those rare closing songs where the listener finds themselves sitting stillonce the song ends, drinking in the last fading notes of magic.Halie Loren is one of the most talented young vocalists inJazz, and Heart First does absolutelynothing to discourage this view.  Lorenworks to expand her sound a bit this time around, blending some of herpop-oriented interests with the classic jazz sound she is known for.  The result is perhaps a bit uneven at times,but Loren’s voice can cover most any musical sin.  HeartFirst sounds like a transition album, and it will be very curious to hearwhere Loren is headed next.  This timeout Loren shows she is no flash in the pan, while beginning to broaden themusical landscape she can work on.  Andthe moments of magic she finds are sublime.Rating: 4.5 Stars(Out of 5)Learn more at www.halieloren.com.