Dominique Eade - The Long Way Home (1999/2021)

Dominique Eade is a difficult singer to warm up to: her voice is quite flexible and she takes plenty of chances, both in her improvisations (purposely slipping between notes which can make her sound out of tune in spots) and in her repertoire. The dozen songs on this set all have something to do with the subject of home, with the only standards being an eccentric rendition of "Baltimore Oriole," "Two for the Road," and "Let's Take the Long Way Home." Other selections include Ornette Coleman's "All My Life," the country-flavored "Have I Stayed Away Too Long," and some of the singer's originals. Eade, who also provided the arrangements, is joined by pianist Bruce Barth, guitarist Mick Goodrick, bassist Dave Holland, drummer Victor Lewis, and percussionist Cyro Baptista for an adventurous effort that is easier to admire than to love.