Published on Aug 22, 2014
New Orleans inhabitant Carsie Blanton has an affinity for the sleek sounds of jazz music. – so much so that she recorded an entire album of herself reworking some jazz classics. It's not that Blanton is incapable of writing her own music; on the contrary she's released four albums of original material. But here she wanted to pay homage to those that have inspired her.
An artist known for her glowing personality as well as her impressive body of work, Blanton's inimitable charm is all over these classics. She starts out with the soft and cozy “Azalea” (Duke Ellington) before moving into Cole Porter's “Laziest Gal In Town,” which Blanton's make sound oh so romantic.
“Heavenly Thing” moves the atmosphere from sensual to playful as the band picks up the pace considerably, as does Blanton. This quicker feel is kept up with the pop friendly rendition of Hoagy Carmichael's “Two Sleepy People,” though at the mid-point on "You Don't Know What Love Is," we're reminded that this is largely a softer affair where Blanton's sweet vocals are the focus.
The second half of the disc has several powerful and gentle tunes, including the sparse turned frisky “You Don't Know What Love Is” with its jumpy keys. Other covers, like “I'll Be Seeing You,” seem tailor-made for a candlelit dinner with your love, and the sensual “Don't Come Too Soon,” well, that could be the soundtrack to when the lights go out with your significant other after the candlelit dinner.
One doesn't need to be a jazz fanatic or even be familiar with the originals here to enjoy Not Old, Not New. Blanton does a great job keeping an old time feel on these classics while still giving it her modern twist. Almost as if she was born to sing jazz, Blanton does the esteemed history here proud.