Lenora Zenzalai Helm - Spirit Child (1999)

Drawing on influences that range from Abbey Lincoln and Dianne Reeves, to various soul artists, Lenora Zenzalai Helm took an R&B-minded approach to jazz singing on her debut album, Spirit Child. This CD gave the impression that the big-voiced Helm (who is noteworthy as both a scat singer and an interpreter of lyrics) had spent a lot of time listening to post-bop instrumentalists like John Coltrane and Wayne Shorter, but also had a healthy appreciation of Earth, Wind & Fire, Stevie Wonder and the late Phyllis Hyman -- in fact, there are times that Helm's phrasing gives us some idea what Hyman might have sounded like if her focus had been jazz instead of R&B. Helm's interpretations of "My Favorite Things" and the Wayne Shorter pieces, "Footprints" and "Miyako" (both of which she wrote lyrics for), show her to be comfortable in a modal setting, while her version of Wonder's "Summer Soft" acknowledges R&B's impact on her singing. This isn't a remarkable album, but it's a competent one and indicated that Helm was worth keeping an eye on. © Alex Henderson