Reviewed by Matthew Cordle

Jazz albums from Christian artists are sadly quite a rarity (other than those rather poor gospel albums attempting to jazz up hymns and worship songs). So here is something fresh. London-based Elisa is a fairly recent addition to the jazz scene but she's clearly a class act. Just as when I first heard Diana Krall sing I couldn't believe it was her debut, Elisa has a dusky maturity to her voice that suggests she's been singing for years. She demonstrates a precise vocal control, understated and never overblown, coupled with a rich tone perfectly suited to her gospel-tinged jazz style. Coupled with this is the master musicianship of a top notch band; Jo Caleb (Elisa's husband) on guitar, Troy Miller on drums, Ivo Neame on piano/Wurlizter and Larry Bartley on bass, expertly weaved together by producer Femi Tomowo. The CD consists of two original songs by Jo Caleb and original interpretations of eight standards, and in terms of overall sound reminds me somewhat of Dave Grusin's recordings for The Fabulous Baker Boys film. The sound stage is spacious and carefully thought through - you could easily be sitting listening in a jazz club, it sounds that authentic. The CD kicks off with one of Jo's songs, "Bring Back Spring," which is firmly in the jazz trio space with a wonderful improvised feel to the middle with its stand-up bass. The CD title is drawn from "Swing Low" and the distinctive arrangement of that song is worth highlighting for its soulful Wurlitzer playing along with deliciously delicate, grooving bass and drums as well as the perfectly timed vocals. Right in the middle of the CD lies the other of Jo's songs, "The Wind," which is an interesting kind of "Eden's Bridge meets jazz" number - you could easily imagine Sarah Lacy singing it. I would love to see a jazz singer of this calibre produce a CD of overtly God-centric jazz songs...maybe in the future, Elisa? However, I was interested to notice her faith reflected in the subtle change of "gods above" to "God above" in the standard "Every Time We Say Goodbye". Wonderful late night listening.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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