Stephanie Sellars has outdone herself with her collection of timeless classics with an original song thrown in for good measure. Far from conforming to some imaginary auditory cannon, Stephanie puts her own unique interpretation on each cover song, vocally reimagining these vintage songs whilst remaining true to the original message. Her vocal arrangements are subtle, artful and respectful at the same time as showing off her quirky and playful personality.
The orchestration is vibrant and lush, and gives us a private peek into the mind of a talented romantic. Any deviations from the original arrangements and time signatures only adds to the mystery and her pure tone lends itself well to the feel of the album which can only be described as charming and whimsical. Song after song plumbs the depths of love and longing in an exciting yet natural way. Stephanie is joined by some of New Yorks most accomplished musicians and listeners are treated to two duets with the remarkable Tom Middleton (The lead singer of the Willows).
‘Girl Who Loves’ by Stephanie Sellars is a staple album for Jazz lovers everywhere. Have a listen to the full album here on spotify let us know what you think,
Review by Susan Harriott