Wilma Baan: Look At Me Now!

Originally from The Netherlands and now settled in the UK, vocalist Wilma Baan's story is one of perseverance. Mid-way through her singing career in the '80s, she was diagnosed with a condition that meant gradually worsening hearing loss. Although she could still hear high tones, she had little choice but to pause her career. Fortunately, in the late '90s, technological breakthroughs in digital hearing aids and Bluetooth enabled her to re-capture enough of the sound that had been lost so she could start singing again.

Baan finds inspiration in classic jazz songs and has made some interesting selections for Look At Me Now! Her musicians on this album include pianist and arranger Graham Harvey, bassist Jeremy Brown and drummer Sebastiaan de Krom. There are also guest appearances from guitarist Nigel Price, vibraphonist Nat Steele, trumpeter James McMillan and percussionist Tristan Banks. This is her second album, following on from her debut So Nice (Self Release, 2019), both albums having been produced by Claire Martin.

Baan's crystal clear diction is immediately apparent in the opening track, "Oh! Look At Me Now." She sings with a smile in her voice over nicely judged piano, with a bass break from Brown and de Krom picking up the beat at exactly the right time. "The Windmills Of Your Mind," originally written for the film, The Thomas Crown Affair, won an Oscar in 1969 for Best Original Song. Baan introduces small changes in timing and intonation to create interest and deviate cleverly from the original. "Somewhere In The Hills" is a highlight, with a pulsing piano and trumpet introduction, a Latin tempo and Baan's fast phrasing showing impeccable diction and timing. Flowing piano and trumpet breaks together with lyrical bass add further interest.

Bill Evans' "Waltz for Debby," was first recorded as a short piano instrumental on his album New Jazz Conceptions (Riverside, 1957), and then in trio format on his live recording, Waltz for Debby, (Riverside, 1961). Evans' friend, Gene Lees, added lyrics with versions by Monica Zetterlund and Tony Bennett proving popular. Here, Baan's mellow tone is well suited to the song, and Steele's vibraphone lifts it into new territory. "Old Devil Moon," from the 1947 musical Finian's Rainbow, finds Baan in fine form with Brown adding a neat bass break.

"Bein' Green," perhaps best known as the signature song of Kermit the Frog, is half sung, half spoken, over de Krom's brushwork, with Steele's vibraphone adding colour. Harvey's arrangement, together with nicely judged guitar from Price, add to the Brazilian flavour of "The Day It Rained." Other highlights include Baan's charming delivery of the upbeat and swinging, "A Beautiful Friendship" and the smoky "Born To Be Blue."

The musicianship is top quality throughout and provides the perfect foil to Baan's homage to the American Songbook. Baan uses inflection, warmth and timing as the tools which allow her to own the songs. Immaculate arrangements, interesting song choices, elegant vocals, there is a lot to like here.

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