Cyrille Aimée, It’s a Good Day, Mack Avenue ***1/2
The French-Dominican singer, a winner of both the Montreux jazz festival and Sarah Vaughan vocal competitions, backed here in a predominantly gypsy swing fashion by guitars, bass and drums, has a pure toned softly sung style that sits halfway between Stacey Kent and Madeleine Peyroux. Beginning with Rodgers and Hart’s ‘Where or When’ there’s a smile and warmth in Aimée’s voice that lasts. Elsewhere there’s Peggy Lee and Ellington material, and not that incongruously a Rod Temperton song (‘Off the Wall’) among the tracks with a few songs by Aimée including the French language ‘Nuit Blanche’. Definitely a feelgood affair. SG photo: Anna Webber Released on Monday 4 August
