Reviewed by Eric Saeger
Usually the arrival of a CD from a white chick jazz singer with actress-level good looks elicits expectations of not much whatsoever, and oh my God, it’s a Sanskrit title. Thus it was with much surprise that I found myself falling over myself with positives to blabber about this debut LP from the DC native and graduate of Duke Ellington School of the Arts, and oh my God, the original tunes don’t sound like posturing. Wood’s versatility is legion, moving from effortless Caribbean scat to torch to blues-fused bop, but above even that she’s a smart captain on board this old school ship, demonstrating a wonderful grasp on how to make a record that allows you to close your eyes and picture yourself in a steamy, warm-hearted, very foreign club, this propelled maybe by her studies in Jamaica, where she worked with Fab Five, or perhaps by her work with Afrikan Rhapsody. One thing I really like is the production, which is more interested in the actual feel of a lounge and not the sound of every chain on the snare. Absolutely great from start to end.
Grade: A
