Sienna Dahlen & Bill Coon: Balladextrous

Balladextrous, a collaborative jazz album featuring vocalist Sienna Dahlen and guitarist Bill Coon, is a delightful exploration of the ballad form which allows the artists to make moment-to-moment choices about how they are feeling the rhythm or letting it breathe. This session invites the listener on a soothing and introspective musical journey which showcases the artists' chemistry and individual virtuosity.

Over the course of the nine tracks, Dahlen's warm and resonant voice, combined with Coon's delicate and expressive guitar playing, creates an atmosphere of intimacy and emotional depth. The opener is "Too Late Now" by Burton Lane & Alan Jay Lerner which immediately sets the tone for the collection. Dahlen's voice gently glides over the lyrics, with Coon's supporting guitar capturing the listener's attention. The Thelonious Monk classic "'Round Midnight" was originally created as an instrumental, but lyrics by Bernard Hanighen were subsequently added. Dahlen's phrasing and subtle inflections bring out the lyric's depth while, near the end of the tune, Coon subtly changes the rhythm to something slightly more lively, Dahlen picks this up seamlessly.

Tracks such as "When Light Are Low" and "Autumn In New York" showcase Dahlen's exceptional vocal control and ability to convey a wide range of emotions. Coon's sensitive accompaniment and inventive chord changes provide the perfect backdrop for her storytelling. The Billy Strayhorn compositional gem "Day Dream" is a perfect hand-in-glove moment for the duo as they engage in a musical dialogue which seems to transcend words.

Sienna Dahlen and Bill Coon's musical partnership is a testament to their deep understanding of each other's artistic sensibilities.