Ashleigh Smith's full-length debut album, 2016's
Sunkissed, is a languid, sophisticated combination of jazz and R&B that beautifully exhibits
Smith's warmly resonant vocals. A graduate of the University of North Texas and winner of the 2014 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition,
Smith is a gifted singer with a burnished, romantic vocal style. While contemporary in tone,
Smith is clearly as adept at delivering a jazz standard as she is a more modern pop tune. Produced by Chris Dunn and Nigel Rivers (who also handles most of the arranging),
Sunkissed features a mix of originals and well-chosen pop covers reworked here with a nuanced and expansive soul-jazz style. Cuts like
Hall & Oates' "Sara Smile" and
the Beatles' "Blackbird" are transformed by
Smith and her bandmates into flowing, harmonically rich grooves that touch upon the passionate R&B of
Alicia Keys, the '70s soul of
Stevie Wonder, and the forward-thinking jazz of
Esperanza Spalding. Interestingly,
Smith doesn't lock herself into the past -- she delivers an inspired, orchestral soul reading of former boss (whom she sang backup for)
Chrisette Michele's "Love Is You." Similarly,
Smith's originals, including the Latin-tinged "Best Friends" and the horn-driven "Into the Blue," are highlights that display her broad stylistic range. While
Smith certainly has chops to spare as evidenced by her multi-tracked vocal harmonies on the classic standard "Pure Imagination," she generally sings in an understated, supple style that makes for a relaxing and intimate listening experience. In the end, it's
Smith's relaxed warmth on
Sunkissed that leaves you feeling good. ~ Matt Collar