WomanChild

Cécile McLorin Salvant took first place in the 2010 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Vocal Competition at the Kennedy Center in D.C., and it only takes hearing a few of the tracks on this, her debut album, to know how justly deserved that recognition was. Now a mere 23 years old, she has the kind of vocal chops and stylistic range few singers can achieve in a lifetime. The repertoire on this release is wide-ranging, from a jazz improv on “John Henry,” the old folk ballad, to Salvant’s own composition “Le Front Caché sur tes Genoux,” a song that draws on a poem by Haitian, Ida Faubert (Salvant was born in Miami and her father was Haitian). In addition to the crisp playing of Aaron Diehl on piano and guitarist James Chirillo, the album is also enhanced by the personality of Salvant herself, a sprite and a vixen who can go from morose to kittenish in the space of a few notes. She has a voice like molasses over warm stones, and a sureness of command on ballads or blues. Check out her mastery on a standard like “I Didn’t Know What Time It Was,” then take note: A major talent has just arrived.