Leah Crane: Lucky to Be Me

Hailing from Indianapolis and based in Chicago, versatile singer Leah Crane released Lucky to Be Me in 2022 after working on it since 2019. Joining her on the album is Paul Langford, a Chicago-based singer, arranger, keyboardist, producer and conductor. The album also features Rob Dixon on saxophone, Daniel Duarte on guitar, Shawn Sommer on bass and Tom Hipskind on drums.

Lucky To Be Me has a variety of instrumentation ranging from a duet to an orchestral arrangement. The orchestration was programmed by Paul Langford on "Cry Me a River," "The Way You Look Tonight" and " Estate." On the closing track, "I Wanna Be Around," Chris Madsen on saxophones, Tim Coffman on trombones and Mark Olen on trumpets laid down two to three parts each to create the effect of a full big band performing. The album has an old-school vibe and musicians seem to have great respect for a traditional jazz sound.

The album opens with "Cry Me a River," which is full of lyricism. The piece is followed by an upbeat version of "Beautiful Love." The interpretation is remarkable for its virtuosic saxophone solo by Rob Dixon. "The Way You Look Tonight" creates a contrast with the previous piece and flows smoothly in a bossa-nova style. "Here Is to Life" is a poignant vocal and piano ballad. Although it is nearly impossible to top Shirley Horn's performance, Crane and Langford present an intriguing version of their own. The blues mood of this ballad is immediately taken away by "Chega de Saudade" with the layers of vocal backgrounds in addition to the orchestral arrangement. "Lucky to Be Me," a composition that gave the title to the album, is another duet from Crane and Langford. It is followed by a version of the standard "Estate" that has a tasteful arrangement and a sweet piano solo. "A Kiss to Build a Dream On" has a laid-back feel and a swing groove. Before closing the album with a burst of energy in "I Wanna Be Around," Crane and Langford perform yet another ballad, "Embraceable You," as a duet. Overall, Lucky To Be Me contains a nice collection of vocal standards and is a lovely tribute to jazz traditions.

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