Jacqueline Tabor – The Lady in the Gown Review

Vocalist Jacqueline Tabor is certainly a well-known staple vocalist in the Seattle, WA jazz and blues scene.  A native of Bellevue, Washington, Tabor graduated from Sammamish High School. Tabor went on to study Music and History at Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana where she developed a deep understanding of the blues and the origins of jazz music. Her debut album What a Wonderful World (2011), received Earshot Jazz’s Golden Ear Award for NW Vocalist of the Year. Her follow up album The Jazz in You (2012) was recorded live by KNKX Jim Wilke at the Seattle Jazz Vespers in 2014. Her latest effort The Lady in the Gown features Cole Schuster: guitar; Greg Feingold: bass; and Max Holmberg: drums.  The blues can be deeply felt throughout each performance giving the album a soulful essence.

A few standout tracks include her original “Lady in the Gown,” a female empowerment blues tune, that highlights Tabor’s soothsayer writing skills.  Her ability to cut to the core of the emotional nucleus  of the tune, reveals immediately she has lived “real” life and its reflected in her lyrics and delivery. Her soulful delivery is savory, and the backing support of the ensemble adds the to enjoyment of the track.

I’ve always had an affinity for the tune “Dindi,” Tabor approaches the tune with a 60s soul style aesthetic.  When listening I kept reflecting on that 60s and 70s lounge vibe that was so hip during that era, with smoke filled rooms and the clinking of sophistication in the air. She offers a reminiscent style of Nancy Wilson, like Wilson, Tabor has that sensual burn about her delivery that offers a timeless listen.  What I enjoyed most was the unaffected production, you could truly hear the beauty of Tabor’s voice it was not drowning in reverb and had an intimacy to the recording that let the natural beauty of her voice breath with a refreshing naturalness.

Each track on The Lady in the Gown is its own unique performance and delight. You honestly can’t go wrong with this timeless recording. From the well-crafted original to the fourteen well arranged standards that offer collective performances by a group that plays as a unified unit.  It’s in the details this recording shines, the nuances, the subtleties and the authenticity of each performance contained within the grooves.  A strong third outing worth the price of admission.

Jacqueline Tabor: Website