Tierney Sutton: Paris Sessions 2

Back at the tail end of 2012, Tierney Sutton found herself in a studio in Epinay Sur Orge, France, working comfortably alongside guitarist Serge Merlaud and bassist Kevin Axt (on acoustic bass guitar). The music they captured, released two years later as the Paris Sessions (BFM, 2014), instantly stood out as the most intimate jewel in the celebrated vocalist's sparkling discography. So it's with joy and a touch of surprise that now, almost a decade after that studio stay defined beauty in understatement, Sutton's voice glows with renewed thoughts of The City of Light.

As with the the original, Paris Sessions 2 doesn't look to dazzle with elaborate displays. Instead, it charms by paring away the outer layers of each song, fully exposing the heart and soul of each masterwork in wondrous (and sometimes newly expressive) ways. Sutton's entrancing vocals, gifts for creating artful arrangements and choice of material remain second to none; Merlaud's skills, as an accompanist, soloist, arranger, interpreter and rhythm guitarist, carry the music to far-off places; Axt adds depth and breadth, often all at once; and special guest Hubert Laws, offering his legendary flute work on a number of tracks, sweetens the deal.

Opening with Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Triste," which includes a well-choreographed unison passage for wordless vocals and guitar, Sutton and Merlaud immediately display a level of sophistication that few others can even approach, never mind achieve. Then, slackening the time and dimming the lights for an "April in Paris/Free Man in Paris" follow-up, they show us what sharp minds and keen ears can do with quality, compatible chestnuts. A second helping of Jobim, in the form of a haunting "Zingaro," finds Laws coolly traveling on gentle currents. And the Gershwins' "Isn't It a Pity?" glistens as it goes.

While Sutton investigates material from a wide variety of songsmiths, including the aforementioned legends, Cole Porter, Guinga, Sting, Dorival Caymmi and others, she also puts special emphasis on the work of her close friends Alan and Marilyn Bergman, with the album being dedicated to the latter, who passed away in January of 2022. Marrying Ennio Moriccone's absorbing "Cinema Paradiso" to that power couple's "I Knew I Loved You," Sutton creates one of the most touching performances on the album. Voice and strings prove lustrous while refracting "Moonlight," a calm bossa that John Williams and the Bergmans crafted for the soundtrack to Sabrina in the mid '90s. And "A Child Is Born"—not the Thad Jones classic, but the Dave Grusin number (with lyrics from the in-focus, feted husband-and-wife team)— gently bounds and floats with Laws in the mix. Every bit as approachable and absorbing as the first go-round, Paris Sessions 2 amplifies the quiet brilliance of Tierney Sutton.