The sophomore album from singer and saxophonist Theresa Grayson is titled ‘Live2Love’ and will be independently released on November 5. It follows her 2010 project ‘It’s All About You’ and is a lively blend of five original compositions plus a bunch of well-crafted covers. Among them is a wonderfully turned down version of the excellent Tony Toni Tone song ‘It Never Rains In Southern California’ (that can be found on the band’s 1994 CD ‘Slow Wine’) and the similarly beguiling ‘Tonight (Best You Ever Had)’.
This was originally a hit for John Legend and the way Theresa has dug a little deeper to avoid some of the more obvious cover choices is commendable. So much so in fact in that she can be excused inclusions such as ‘Smooth Operator’, ‘Sarah Smile’ and ‘Natural Woman’ where in each case the original is so powerful that no one, anywhere, could ever hope to improve upon it.
Yet, within these confines, she still does a great job and this can also be said of her take on the Maroon 5 disco blockbuster ‘Moves Like Jagger’ and the beautifully lively Bruno Mars number ‘Locked Out Of Heaven’.
Jazzy and streetwise would be an apt description for the intense ‘More Pressure’ yet ‘Live2Love’ really stretches out and begins to enjoy itself with the introduction of Grayson’s own compositions. For instance ‘Afterthoughts’ (that happens to be the first single serviced to radio) is an easy grooving slice of impeccably delivered smooth jazz and although Theresa can go up-tempo with the best of them she is perhaps at her best when finding a more tender tone.
Take for example the splendidly chilled ‘Just A Little Time’ or ‘Spend My Life’ that are both right up there with the best that ‘Live2Love’ have to offer. However, just shading them as the collection’s best track is the equally mellow ‘Close Your Eyes’. With tunes like this Theresa Grayson might just be positioning herself to capture the market in the contemporary jazz version of quiet storm.
Check it out.