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Album description
Following it’s release Bonnie’s debut album “Lucky So & So” immediately rose to No. 3 in the Australian Independent Music Charts. This timeless and immaculately-produced recording of swinging jazz standards and originals placed Bonnie’s warm and stylish vocals to the fore, introduced her soulful song-writing and established her on the local scene.
The prolific American music critic David Nathan wrote, “… Jensen delivers a scintillating, expressive 55 minutes of music. Possessing a voice with excellent range, she distributes emotions tailored to the message she wants each song to convey… the mark of a good jazz singer…”.
Reviews
“… Jensen delivers a scintillating, expressive 55 minutes of music. Possessing a voice with excellent range, she distributes emotions tailored to the message she wants each song to convey to the listener, whether the tune be an original or standard – the mark of a good jazz singer. Thus, Waltz for Debby is tender and a bit wistful. Teach Me Tonight imparts a sense of urgency as she staggers space between words and lines to make this oft-recorded song come across somewhat differently than one usually hears it. Her own Reality is more contemporary music and comes wrapped in a Brazilian beat. Jensen also recognises the importance of imaginative arrangements to make sure that the proper combination of instrumentation is used to help her meet her performing objectives … she displays a vocal instrument power and clarity combined with a sense of intimacy that makes the session work. Recommended.”
David Natham, USA – www.allaboutmusic.com
She sings Teach Me Tonight – fetchingly too – but you get the impression Bonnie Jensen’s absorbed the syllabus already. This is an experienced singer – she has worked extensively in Europe – and it’s the Diana Krall-like combination of innocence and sexy womanliness somewhere in the timbre of the voice that lets you know. Like Krall, Jensen does work as a pianist/singer and there is that great confidence and self-reliance evident in what she does. Here, though, the piano duties fell to Michael Bartolomei while a solid roster of names – notably session ace Graham Jesse on saxes, Nicholas McBride on drums and David Stratton on bass – mean that the singer has about as good support as you could reasonably ask for. Jensen makes good use of it, but part of the knowingness of this album is the choice of standards that leave her little opportunity to show us anything very original. These are great songs and superbly delivered. But it’s Bonnie. That voice. You can’t help wondering what she could do with a bunch of fertile tunes and the freedom and security to go with her instincts. Confirmation comes in her own originals, Reality and the Anita Baker-ish slow burn The Best Thing In Your Life, where you sense the real Bonnie at the microphone.
Shane Nicols – www.allaboutjazz.com