Live At The Plush Room

Album Review

The second outing for West Coast singer Jacqui Naylor brings together live performances from San Francisco's Plush Room from February through July in 2001. While she continues down the same path established in her initial album, the delivery of good material in a simple, straightforward manner, there's been a slight expansion of her perspective by adding blues and come-hither accents. Live performances generally demand that the performer be more versatile than in the recording studio. This slight augmentation can be heard on such tunes as "Love Me or Leave Me" and a coy, now-you-see-it, now-you-don't sensuality on "Playing Your Game, Baby." Latin rhythms hold forth on "My Baby Just Cares for Me," where Naylor makes some clever, ear-catching alterations in the phrasing. But regardless of what's on the performance platter, Naylor never loses the smooth, smoky resonance that gives her voice its distinctive flavor. Since these performances were made over a period of five months, her supporting lineup varies over the course of the CD. Nonetheless, there is no diminishment in the caliber of the musicians, including Bob Johnson with his eloquent sax returns on "Blue Skies" and "Lazy Afternoon." There is a highly mellifluous interchange between Art Khu's piano and Thomas Williams' bass on "Ain't No Sunshine." Michael Bluestein's piano manages to flit and flirt behind Naylor without taking attention away from the vocalist on "I Got the Sun in the Morning." Adding value to the vocalizing while not intruding on it is the sign of a wise and accomplished accompanist. If her first two albums are any indication, another fine interpreter of American popular song has emerged in the San Francisco area in the person of Jacqui Naylor.