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Aly Berry's latest release, "The Wrong Man," is smooth, midnight sweet, and features a soul jazz voice that is worth listening to.
A smoky saxophone blankets somber recollections, and Aly Berry sings. But in her first single, "The Wrong Man," the North England-born, London-based jazz singer and songwriter introduces herself not with a bang but a sultry, slow-burning whisper that sticks with you long after the last note.
This is not your mama's jazz track. It is a beautiful vignette, timeless, tender, shot through with a kind of quiet heartbreak. Evoking echoes of the jazz age and a life unexpectedly shaped by music, Aly's voice hints after-show bars in Mayfair and smoke-filled coffee houses on Atriste's Left Bank, where her journey began one long night during a rainy Parisian summer.
The song is rooted in an all-star cast. The great Scott Hamilton's instantly recognizable saxophone warmth lights up the track, and the kind of emotional phrasing that could only underpin a lifetime of playing with Tony Bennett. Employ bassist Dave Green, whose time with Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts gives the track a supple pulse, and Paul Higgs, whose credits with Peggy Lee and Nancy Wilson resonate in the track's lush arrangements. The result? A first novel that is anything but a novice.
"The Wrong Man" is the first music to be shared from Aly's forthcoming debut album, the sound of two kindred spirits who have spent countless nights in the company of London's jazz scene, come to life fully formed following a chance encounter with the maestro Paul Higgs. The musical chemistry is undeniable, and here it is in full bloom.
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