KJ Denhert
Dal Vivo a Umbria Jazz
Montana/Mother Cyclone

KJ Denhert is an instrumentalist and singer in the jazz genre, and this is a live recording from the Umbria festival in Italy. I hadn't encountered Denhert's work before, but on this evidence she has a great deal of talent.

"He's Not Coming Home" sees Denhert demonstrate her skill with her guitar and her vocal is warm and welcoming. I'm reminded of Steely Dan's music here. "August Clown" is a sensitive reflection on the life of a performer. Denhert's band plays with great fluidity and grace. She does a few covers towards the album's end; one is Police's "Message in a Bottle" which gets a highly personal remake. It's a drawn out, rhythmically driven version that would make its writer proud. Denhert's voice is very pleasant here too. A remake of The Beatles' "Ticket to Ride" manages to put the singer's unique stamp on the classic song. She slows it down and still keeps the lovely melody intact.

Many live recordings fail to capture the spirit of the band playing, but this one is right on the money. Denhert appears to be an artist worth seeing live.

Copyright © 2009 Anna Maria Stjärnell