Rachael Calladine - The Game (2025) [Hi-Res]

Now firmly settled back in the UK after a decade in the Middle East, Rachael Calladine is eager to reclaim her place among the leading voices in the UK jazz scene. With a strong work ethic driving her efforts, she has become a familiar name in jazz listings once again and has formed a quartet of top notch musicians, all with a string of well-known collaborations behind them, to support her.

Prior to her successful stint abroad, Calladine was well-known as the vocalist for the hip-hop collective Us3. Her versatility has taken her on extensive tours and allowed her to collaborate with renowned artists such as Jamiroquai and Amy Winehouse. With over 30 performances at Ronnie Scott's and a career spanning three decades, her album The Game once more highlights her talent for infusing warmth and depth into both well-loved classics and her own original songs.

Opening with the engaging title track, composed by Calladine and electric guitarist Pat McCarthy, her warm relaxed tones sail over the groove, leading to McCarthy's solo. His unrushed subtle guitar work is a feature of the album. That subtlety is to the fore in the blues anthem "Trouble In Mind." Many guitarists would see an opportunity to cut loose with a flamboyant solo, but McCarthy is languid and measured as Calladine lets her voice stretch to bring a smoky ache to her delivery.

"Like Young," composed by Andre Previn and Paul Francis Webster (whose other credits include co-writing the Spider-Man theme tune), gives Calladine the opportunity to explore her higher registers and wring the most from the lyrics, while bassist Andy Tytherleigh and drummer Simon Potts drive a swinging shuffle. The album further includes a collection of covers that highlight the ensemble's interpretative skills: a relaxed version of "What A Difference A Day Makes," fine vocal and bass interplay in "Dream A Little Dream Of Me" and a less inspired "The Air That I Breathe."

The selection concludes with the quartet's thoughtfully-restrained pacing of Horace Silver's "Peace." The album makes no concessions to the hip or contemporary; the focus is on taste and elegance. There is no fuss or drama here, everything is stripped back to its essence; Tytherleigh and Potts make a versatile combination, building an inventive rhythmic platform for McCarthy's artistry. Calladine doesn't mimic or pay homage to other performers; she owns the lyrics with her distinctively soulful phrasing, adding unexpected twists and emotional energy. An album of classy and mature performances that should resonate with vocal jazz enthusiasts and more casual listeners.

Review By Neil Duggan