Cecilia Stalin – Step Like a Giant (John Coltrane Tribute) [Album]

2/2/12 | By Graham Major | No Comments

Swedish-born jazz singer Cecilia Stalin (and her forceful surname, which would almost certainly tempt a lesser publication than this one to make at least one Iron Curtain joke) recently dropped Step Like A Giant via Bandcamp, in which she (with the help of a grip of varied producers and a live band that’s absolutely vacuum-sealed tight) lovingly re-interprets the works of John Coltrane, Miles Davis and other pretty much unassailable luminaries.

While nobody with ears has ever accused anyone rearranging Coltrane of improving his material, and its debatable whether it’s worth trying, Stalin does a distinctly not-terrible job, bringing in nu-jazz, R & B and house influences in a manner inoffensive to the original material. Her voice, a little smoky with an impressive range, dances all over these priceless melodies, and the arrangements are definitely more ‘hit’ than ‘miss.’

Hit the skip to stream/purchase the project.

Purchase: Cecilia Stalin – Step Like a Giant [Bandcamp]