Relax, chill out, enjoy and soak it in
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reviews plus
A blend of acoustic pop with jazz and soul influences this album highlights Lisa’s talent and versatility as a songwriter, singer, pianist and arranger. The music is engaging, sentimental, full of expression and easy listening. Relax, chill out, enjoy and soak it in. Although the majority of the CD presents Lisa singing songs she composed herself, she has included her own interpretations of three cover songs. Stevie Wonder (Blame it on the Sun), a version of Joe Crocker’s “The Letter” and a beautiful interpretation of the song “Time is a Healer”. People who love female jazz and blues vocalists will love Lisa Hugo’s music.
RadioIndy Reviews: It's Time by Lisa Hugo
by
Gregory Mikszta
In the tradition of such venerable performers as Karen Carpenter and Eva Cassidy, Lisa Hugo straddles the boundaries of jazz and pop with equal ease and finesse on her fine new CD, “It’s Time.” With her supple, three octave vocal range and the instincts of a seasoned vet, the Australian born and world-traveled, pianist and singer/songwriter simply delights on this 11-song collection of pop, jazz, and easy listening songs. Backed by a small combo with exemplary taste and feel, Hugo’s piano sets the tone on jazzier numbers like the CD opener, “With You I Can Be Me” and “Oh My Baby,” while the subdued, “Please Try to Understand,” finds Hugo delivering an emotion-laden confessional with only the leanest of guitar, bass, and sprinkling of cymbals. Although very comfortable and adept with the jazz-pop style, the real highlight of the set is “Butterfly,” a wonderfully melodic pop tune as engaging as it is uplifting. Lisa Hugo’s bio is one filled with musical accomplishment all across the globe, but her new CD stands on its own merits. Fans of adult-oriented, tuneful jazz-pop will thoroughly enjoy the perfect blend of polished and sophisticated easy listening music on “It’s Time.”
Rice B. and the RadioIndy.com Reviewer Team
