Lauren Henderson's rendition of "I Wish You Love" steers toward all kinds of tenderness as whispery nuance, sweetness, and grief, polished and bare. Drifted gently on a backdrop of stripped-down, sultry jazz, Henderson's smoky vocals recast familiar lines as hushed confessions- introspective and personal. And with the inventive accompaniment of Eric Wheeler, Joe Dyson, Joel Ross, and Sean Mason, the song becomes an altogether more lush, immersive experience.
It is music that's elegant and emotionally immediate, music in which allusions to Latin and Afro-Caribbean rhythms mingle easily with a sense of modern jazz freedom. Henderson's lyrics unfold like flowers in the soundtrack of an indie movie that never got made. There's an extraordinary flourishing of harmony between her voice and her boppalicious band. "I Wish You Love" is suitable for late-night contemplation, winter romance, or simply turning inward into a quiet place. Henderson gives the song her own name, a rare skill, denoting and paying tribute to a past while also staking out her hold on it.
Teaming up with Wheeler, Dyson, Ross, and Mason further gives the recording an intimate feel but also adds to its strength thanks to Henderson's talent for tying voices and instruments together into a single narrative. This record is a document of Henderson's art, and it shows the possibility that even when performing a well-worn standard, one can rediscover and feel something fresh. You are encouraged to bask in its warmth and elegance, relishing in the reflective beauty that makes it such a unique addition to playlists of Vocal Jazz, but also modern jazz as well.
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