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Listening to Canadian vocal artist Patrice Jégou‘s second album, If It Ain’t Love, one would never think that she once was a world-class professional figure skater. One would also immediately discern that she and her similarly world-class musical partners have delivered a perfect-10 performance.
Surrounded on the opener by Take 6‘s Mark Kibble and Alvin Chea, Jégou and the “sextet” burn a capella through a terrific send up of “Lover Come Back to Me.” Backed by the swinging Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra and a fine Count Basie-like arrangement by John Clayton, Jégou covers the old Benny Goodman horse, “Jersey Bounce” with flair. Things soften with a gorgeously lush rendition of “Baubles, Bangles and Beads” with Maestro Jorge Calandrelli’s strings caressing Jégeou’s vocal silk. The tone grows funk-gospel gumbo on Allen Toussaint’s “Yes We Can, Can” (with Tata Vega joining Jégou) and followed by the highly inspirational “I’m So Glad I’m Standing Here Today.” Jégou and her friends soar celestial on both cuts.