Kelly Wright was born and raised in Detroit but later moved to Seattle, where she recorded No Secret Anymore, her debut recording. It is certainly an impressive debut CD, featuring a collection of distinctive covers of jazz standards.

Beginning with "Everybody Eats When They Come to My House," a cover of a song popularized by Cab Calloway in the 1940s, Kelly sings a succession of old songs while stamping her own identity on each.

The most famous song here is "Secret Love." This classic song, originally recorded by Doris Day, has been interpreted in many different ways and I've heard a lot of different versions, but Kelly's is distinctive and dramatic while still paying respect to the original. Though not included on the track listing, an outtake of this song is provided at the end of the album.

Most of the songs here are from the Great American Songbook, including "Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea," "Old Cape Cod," Peel Me a Grape" (a song that Diana Krall fans will know -- it was on her Love Scenes album) and "What is This Thing Called Love." Kelly has also included covers of "Viva Las Vegas" (made famous by Elvis Presley) and the Randy Newman song "I Don't Want to Hear It Anymore."

This is a fine debut by a singer with a great voice.

- Rambles
written by Peter D. Harris
published 3 April 2004

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