Influenced by Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett, Harlem singer Allan Harris takes an old-fashioned approach here crooning eclectically against a small group backing.

Pascal Le Boeuf’s hip piano, Hammond and Rhodes-playing, the bass of Leon Boykins and bustling drums of Jake Goldbas with guitar from Monty Alexander sideman Yotam Silberstein and percussion from Samuel Torres, sit well with the New Yorker’s warm style.

Produced by Brian Bacchus (Liquid Spirit) and recorded in a New York studio towards the end of 2013, finished off in January last year, Harris’ take on the Bernie Taupin-Elton John song ‘Take Me to the Pilot’ from 1970 comes closest to Gregory Porter’s much more recent style and is probably the best thing here, Harris’ voice sometimes more of a head voice than Porter’s with a different timbre but equally characterful.

Harris inhabits Nat Cole territory best for instance on his own song ‘Love’s the Key.’ Yet he manages to tackle choppier vocalese waters in a Georgie Fame vein too on ‘I've Got the Blues (Lester Leaps In).’ On ‘You Make Me Feel So Young’ he even goes all rat pack.

Accessible and very jazz-club friendly, maybe a little too cosy in places, Harris manages to navigate more serious material with lighter frothier stuff and the familiar never seems too familiar, for instance on ‘My Funny Valentine’ another highlight here Harris duelling well against gymnastic Hammond. I can’t remember hearing a vocals version of ‘Stranger on the Shore’ – synonymous with the late trad clarinettist Acker Bilk who wrote the tune – and this might even become the talking point overall for British listeners especially those who grew up with trad. SG
UK/Ireland release: 2 March