If you like female jazz singers backed with piano and wind instruments, then Magdalena Reising might entice you take a listen to her offering on Blue Cafe. The 10 tracks found here are all original blues/jazz songs. Magdalena is also a harpist and has released several prior CDs including Vaila's Song. When I first listened to her vocals, I did not hear an accent; I later learned Magdalena is from the U.K.

The title track, "Blue Cafe," is a slow, smoky, sultry piece. As Magdalena sings at one point "Here, there's flickers of days gone by." This song sounds like it could be from another decade. (I should probably note at this point that the creation of this CD has actually lead to the creation of the Blue Cafe Band.)

"Winter Love" is a single that was released from this CD. This song is a standard jazz piece with a more upbeat tempo than some other tracks. What starts off as a positive peace about a passionate relationship ends in a different light. Ultimately, you get the impression that as the seasons changed, so did their love. What I can't tell from the lyrics is if he left her or passed away.

One song that sounded very familiar to me was "Since You've Been Gone." I thought I had heard it before, but apparently not since it is an original. The melody is lead by guitar and is more bluesy than other tracks. The gist of the song is that the singer is actually better off since the person she is singing to has left her.

The jazz ensemble supporting Magdalena on Blue Cafe includes Christopher Page on piano, synthesizer and hammond organ, Michael Simons playing guitar, Jo Whiteman on double bass, Alex Eubard with the drums, Ian Price on the soprano and tenor saxophone, Simon Savage on tenor sax, Tim Wade playing trombone, Robert Heisman tearing up the trumpet, Tom Arnold playing accordion and congo, and Julian Tardo on electric guitar.

Magdalena is quite the talented singer/songwriter/musician. She is an accomplished harpist. While I might personally prefer the harpist side of her musical personality, I can appreciate the jazz side as well. Magdalena's vocals are perfect for the type of jazz songs she croons. Her website is also fairly decent. You can hear audio samples as well as see a few videos.

[ visit the artist's website ]