Eugenie Jones
Eugenie
(Open Mic)
“I sing because I breathe, giving harmony to everything around me,” Eugenie Jones declares in the self-penned lyrics to “Why I Sing,” the slinky opener of Eugenie, her sixth recording. “The two most important days of your life,” she continues, are “the day you were born,” and “the day you know why you’re here.” The song serves as a mission statement for the Seattle-based vocalist and composer, who earned an MBA but continues to pursue a life in jazz.
Jones is aided in that endeavor by jazz great and frequent collaborator Lonnie Plaxico, who lends his bass skills to the 13-song program, which he also produced. Musicians on the album hail from New York and Seattle, making up distinct ensembles from recording sessions on each coast. They provide uniformly excellent backing on a set of original music and highly personalized reads of jazz and pop standards that range from Nat Adderley’s “Work Song” to Marvin Gaye’s “Trouble Man.”
About a dozen years ago, Jones established herself as a fresh and original voice with her well-received debut album, Black Lace Blue Tears. Having grown up listening to her mother singing soprano lead with the Friendship Baptist Church Choir — of which her father was director — in her native Fairmont, West Virginia, Jones was steeped in the emotional expression of that institution. However, she never pursued a musical career herself, opting instead to earn an advanced degree, marry and raise a family in Seattle. When her mother died in 2008, Jones found herself compelled to make music, “seeking solace,” as she relates in her web site biography, and “wondering if I could carry on that part of her.” It was then that she waded into the Seattle jazz scene, getting her chops together on local stages before reaching wider audiences with her inaugural recording. Subsequent releases were met with acclaim, and her 2022 album, Players, climbed as high as No. 7 on the Jazz Week Top 50 chart.
On Eugenie, Jones once again showcases deep reverence for jazz tradition without completely eschewing contemporary aesthetics. Bolstered by sighing strings, the lovely original ballads “Starlight Starbright” and “Nothing Better” are throwbacks to the golden age of jazz singing, when such backing was de rigueur; you can almost picture her in an elegant gown on the stage of a swank nightclub. Of course, she can also take the proceedings to a more intimate setting, as she does on her “Say What You Will,” featuring piquant blues piano from Peter Adams and heated guitar riffs from Michael Powers, and a sultry, blues-drenched strut through the Peggy Lee staple “I Love Being Here With You.”
Jones also honors touchstones such as Nina Simone, offering a simmering take on “Sinnerman,” which is propelled by Plaxico’s elastic bass lines and a slippery rhythmic stream of Russell Carter’s drum set, Kahlil Bell’s percussion and Brandon McCune’s piano. Having grown up listening to her siblings’ Motown records, it’s natural that she would also tip a cap to the aforementioned Marvin Gaye with a funky slink through his classic inner-city blues “Trouble Man.” Jones concludes the program with a misty, wistful version of “Harlem Nocturne,” tapping into the deep-indigo heart of the late-night, last-call anthem.
Jones’ signature blend of traditional and contemporary styles continues to captivate with another winning entry in her impressive discography.