Seattle-based jazz vocalist Heather Ward took the jazz world by storm in May 2024 with her debut album “Honeysweet”. This year, she returns to the spotlight with Gilded & Silver, an enchanting and emotionally resonant collection that firmly establishes her as a rising force in contemporary jazz.
Drawing from traditional influences while carving out her own lane, Ward’s latest release is an elegant showcase of originals, jazz standards, and reinterpretations of pop classics. With her vocal subtlety, rich arrangements, and heartfelt storytelling, Ward invites listeners into a soundscape that is as intimate as it is timeless.
The album opens with an original titled “Into the Music,” a tribute to Heather’s Canadian jazz mentor, Hugh Fraser, and uncle, Joe Edmonds who both passed away during the pandemic. While her brooding vocals play with your emotions, in classic jazz style, Heather lets the piano and trumpet both take center stage with warm, hypnotic solos.
STREAMING:
LYRIC VIDEO FOR “Into the Music”:
From the opening notes, Gilded & Silver exudes the feel of a classic supper club, where the lights are low, and the music wraps itself around you like velvet. Ward’s sultry alto brings new life to familiar songs, and her rendition of “Dear Prudence” is one of the album’s standout moments as she transforms the Beatles classic into a slow-burning jazz ballad.
01. Into the Music
02. Towers
03. Dear Prudence
04. Blue Collar
05. Light Up My Room
06. My World is Beginning Today
07. A Million Miles Away
08. He’s A Tramp
09. My Favorite Things a la Trane
10. Midnight at the Oasis
11. Mercy Street
12. I Can’t Give You Anything but Love
The album also has a lighthearted side, as Heather performs a fun little cover of “He’s a Tramp” inspired by the Disney classic. Her vocals really shine on this track, with only the strumming of the double bass to accompany her performance.
Much of the album’s charm also lies in its uncluttered yet rich arrangements, with piano, upright bass, percussion, and subtle trumpet flourishes forming the backdrop for Ward’s vocals. The instrumentation never overpowers; instead, it breathes with her, each note carefully considered to enhance the lyrical and emotional message.
Heather is as reverent as she is inventive on Gilded and Silver, and she ends the album with the jazz standard performed by the likes of Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald; “I can’t give You Anything but Love.” Once again, the instrumentation remains minimal, allowing Heather to pour her soul into the song uninterrupted.
In Gilded & Silver, Heather Ward has delivered more than a jazz record; she has crafted a deeply personal and musically sophisticated statement of identity. It is a work steeped in tradition but unafraid to push boundaries. We’re just two albums in, but this up-and-coming jazz artist already has the makings of a star.
ONLINE:
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