Taste of Honey Takes a Standard Journey

Vocalist Jill Walsh, better known as a singer-songwriter in Nashville, has taken a few curious trips as a jazz vocalist. On Taste of Honey, her short (truncated?) 1998 effort, the music exhibits jazz standards and a few tasteful ballads. The renditions are pretty, but do not extend to what the songs at their core offer for a sensitive interpreter. The lyrics are unfortunately given a secondary position in this very lyric oriented tradition. It may be that Walsh has a rock and pop ideal, where jazz represents a "prettier" genre of music, and that would be understandable. But on a deeper level, one misses the heartfelt expression which this music is known for.

The short 24-minute album opens with When Sunny Gets Blue, with native jazz pianist Mika Pohjola's dissonant harmonies. The duo is reaching toward modern jazz, but playing it safe with no piano solo. The rogue Cole Porter hit It's All Right With Me makes the brightest cut on this album, and largely due to the swing provided by the bouncing bass. The rest of the album contains tasteful selections with "hasteful" arrangements. There are no special rhythmic arrangements or interaction featured. However, the concluding title track, A Taste of Honey, demonstrates great promise which has matured for the subsequent two albums by this duo. No question the duo is far more seasoned today.