Melissa Stylianou - No Regrets (2014/2019) [Hi-Res]

The fifth album from singer Melissa Stylianou – No Regrets – is all about the joy of spontaneity and making the most of the moment. The Canadian-born, New York-based vocalist recorded a set of jazz standards and other favorites in a live-to-two-track, noon-to-night studio session – old-school – backed by an ultra-simpatico trio of New York all-stars: pianist Bruce Barth, double-bassist Linda Oh and drummer Matt Wilson, with stylish guest spots by clarinetist Anat Cohen and alto saxophonist Billy Drewes.

Past albums have seen her put a personal spin on songs from Björk and Joanna Newsom to Johnny Cash to Tom Waits, not to mention her own lovely original compositions. Jazz standards have been a part of the mix, too, but No Regrets – intimately produced by Oded Lev-Ari – sees Stylianou delve into vintage material like never before. She sings songs by likes of the Gershwins, Jerome Kern and Duke Ellington, along with a Billie Holiday tune, a vocal twist on Thelonious Monk, the indigo-hued chestnut “A Nightingale Can Sing the Blues” and, as a left-field inclusion, as a left-field inclusion, a folk setting of Yeats, “Down by the Salley Gardens.” This beautiful album once again underscores why DownBeat has called her a “sophisticated storyteller” and an “original.”

"Given Canadian-in-New-York Melissa Stylianou’s recording trajectory-four previous albums of steadily increasing authority and ingenuity-it’s hardly surprising that No Regrets is so extraordinarily good. Gone are Stylianou’s usual accompanists, replaced by an all-star trio of pianist Bruce Barth, bassist Linda Oh and drummer Matt Wilson. Two equally stellar players-alto saxophonist Billy Drewes and clarinetist Anat Cohen (also featured on Stylianou’s prior release, 2012’s Silent Movie)-each guest on two tracks.

Everything is intentionally old-school. The standards-heavy track list combines sturdy chestnuts-the Gershwins’ “Nice Work If You Can Get It,” Ellington’s “I Got It Bad (and That Ain’t Good)”-with less-familiar gems like Dick Charles and Larry Marks’ “A Nightingale Can Sing the Blues” and Billie Holiday and Arthur Herzog Jr.’s “Somebody’s on My Mind.” The actual recordings, masterminded by Oded Lev-Ari, were done live to two-track in one marathon session that lasted from midday ’til the wee hours: no edits, overdubs or technologic chicanery.

The mood is soft and easy, Stylianou and company settling into a smoky, half-past-midnight coziness. Her readings are invariably cunning, with all five bandmates crafting integrally thoughtful abetment: the gently propulsive bassline Oh floats beneath “I Wish I Knew,” the subdued wistfulness of Cohen’s clarinet on “I’ll Never Be the Same,” the fairytale lilt of Barth and Wilson’s interplay on “Polka Dots and Moonbeams,” the fluttering yearn of Drewes’ sax on “I Got It Bad.” Smart. Seamless. Stunning." (jazztimes.com)

Melissa Stylianou, vocals
Bruce Barth, piano
Linda Oh, bass
Matt Wilson, drums
Anat Cohen, clarinet (6, 9)
Billy Drewes, alto saxophone (3, 8)

Recorded Live to Two-Track by James Farber at Sear Sound, NYC, March 11, 2014
Mastered by Mark Wilder, Battery Studios, NYC

Produced by Oded Lev-Ari