Recorded for Chesky as part of the label's Binaural+ series, this session, Macy Gray's ninth proper studio album, was caught by a single microphone in a Brooklyn church. Backed by a quartet featuring trumpeter Wallace Roney, drummer Ari Hoenig, bassist Daryl Johns, and guitarist Russell Malone, it's a natural direction for Gray, as she started in jazz bands, putting her unique spin on classics, and has cited jazz vocalists as influences throughout her career.

This is a first rate jazz performance from Macy, and her band is stellar. The newer songs  like "The Heart” are top notch, and the covers, including her own songs, are done to perfection and surprisingly varied.

PERSONNEL:

MACY GRAY, vocals
WALLACE RONEY, trumpet
RUSSELL MALONE, guitar
DARYL JONES, bass
ARY HOENIG, drums

TRACKS:

01. Annabelle
02. Sweet Baby
03. I Try; Slowly
04. She Ain’t Right For You
05. First Time
06. Nothing Else Matters
07. Redemption Song
08. The Heart
09. Lucy