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艺术家：艾玛·史密斯
标题：苦橙
发行年份：2025年
唱片公司：拉雷泽夫唱片公司
流派：人声爵士
音质：Mp3 320千比特每秒 / FLAC（音轨） / 24比特-96千赫兹 FLAC（音轨）
总时长：37:41
总大小：91.3 / 212 / 711兆字节
网站：专辑预览
曲目列表：
1. 嘿，世界，我在这儿！（序曲）（0:36）
2. 我是最耀眼的明星（2:39）
3. 弗里姆·弗兰姆调味汁（2:59）
4. 请再调一杯老式鸡尾酒（2:52）
5. 今夜（2:24）
6. 神魂颠倒、心烦意乱又困惑不已（6:18）
7. 伦敦的骄傲（2:39）
8. 你怎么这么久才来？（3:25）
9. 我陷入了混乱之中（3:09）
10. 滑稽面孔（0:50）
11. 我可爱的情人（6:11）
12. 圆点花纹与月光（3:44）
如果你喜爱复古爵士歌后，艾玛·史密斯的最新专辑或许正是你渴望的怀旧慰藉。
在爵士乐不断分化出新兴子流派和实验性融合风格的当下，仍有一个专属角落留给传统主义者——那些怀念世纪中叶卡巴莱明星的魅力、风采与精湛 vocal 技艺的人。如果你的音乐品味正属此类，那么艾玛·史密斯的最新专辑会像一份温暖的、天鹅绒包裹的邀请，带你走进逝去的年代。但别指望能在这里找到创新。这张专辑并非试图重塑爵士乐，而是沉醉于它的过往，以卓越的 vocal 技巧和对这一流派黄金时代的坚定热爱呈现出来。
从第一首曲目就能明显看出，史密斯并非来制造惊吓或惊喜的。她是来展现实力的，而且她做到了，尽管是在传统的安全范围内。她的嗓音醇厚、精准且富有情感智慧，体现出在当代爵士 vocal 中日益罕见的控制力与优雅。她的乐句处理、音高把握，以及将即便最耳熟能详的标准曲演绎得极具说服力的能力，都证明了她精湛的艺术造诣。
以她翻唱的《我可爱的情人》为例。不出所料，这首歌出现在曲目列表中，对任何希望跻身伟大歌手行列的爵士 vocal 歌手而言，这几乎是一种必经仪式。然而，尽管她的演绎在 vocal 上颇为华丽，但或许过于努力地想要留下深刻印象，导致这个版本更显装饰性，而非具有启发性。对一些人来说，那些 vocal 花腔可能令人赞叹；但对包括本评论家在内的另一些人而言，这种过度修饰或许更像是一种干扰，而非新鲜的诠释。
尽管如此，围绕艾玛·史密斯的热议还是相当合理的。她最近被评为英国议会年度爵士 vocal 歌手，正沐浴在当之无愧的赞誉浪潮中。她的履历令人印象深刻，包括在皇家阿尔伯特音乐厅演出，与迈克尔·布雷、昆西·琼斯管弦乐团、杰夫·高布伦、鲍比·麦克费林以及格雷戈里·波特等音乐界重量级人物合作，史密斯在国际爵士圈早已不是新人。她的崛起并非偶然，而是多年付出、密集巡演以及非凡舞台表现力的结果。
史密斯出生于音乐世家，母亲是萨克斯手，父亲是小号手兼作曲家，对她而言，爵士乐与其说是一种选择，不如说是一种召唤。但正如她在采访中常提到的，她真正的偶像其实是祖父——一位来自伦敦东区的长号手，从英国军乐队起步，后来登上了与弗兰克·辛纳屈、奥斯卡·彼得森、芭芭拉·史翠珊等传奇人物同台的舞台。“他从未间断过一天练习，”史密斯回忆道，“他教会我，作为一名艺术家，你的价值取决于你上一次的表现。”这一准则贯穿了这张专辑的每一首曲目，体现出一种严谨、一种崇敬，一种传承感。
然而，尽管技艺精湛，人们还是不禁希望她能多一些冒险精神。这张专辑收录了一系列标准曲和耳熟能详的翻唱作品，制作无疑是精良的。但它也让人觉得错失了良机。凭借她非凡的才华和敏锐的诠释力，史密斯本可以做得更多，而不只是回顾过去；她有能力重塑当下。尝试原创作品，甚至对经典曲目进行大胆改编，都能将她推向一个新的领域，让她的艺术造诣得以更深刻地展现。
就目前而言，这张专辑显得过于保守，对于渴望新奇或创新的人来说，或许保守得有些过头。但爵士纯粹主义者、喜爱华丽编曲和清澈 vocal 的人，会在这里找到许多值得欣赏之处。本质上，这是一份致敬——向家人、向传统，以及向为目标而精心打磨的嗓音所具有的持久力量致敬。
在不断扩展的爵士乐宇宙中，这种优雅的怀旧仍有一席之地。对一些人来说，艾玛·史密斯的专辑会像一件珍贵的遗物，被精心擦拭和修复。对另一些人而言，它可能像一段美妙的回声，遥远得难以触动灵魂。无论如何，它提醒我们，有时回望过去也能成为一段有意义的旅程，即便它并非总能引领我们去往新的地方。
Artist: Emma Smith
Title: Bitter Orange
Year Of Release: 2025
Label: La Reserve Records
Genre: Vocal Jazz
Quality: Mp3 320 kbps / FLAC (tracks) / 24bit-96kHz FLAC (tracks)
Total Time: 37:41
Total Size: 91.3 / 212 / 711 MB
WebSite: Album Preview
Tracklist:
1. Hey World, Here I Am! (Intro) (0:36)
2. I'm The Greatest Star (2:39)
3. Frim Fram Sauce (2:59)
4. Make It Another Old Fashioned, Please (2:52)
5. Tonight (2:24)
6. Bewitched, Bothered And Bewildered (6:18)
7. London Pride (2:39)
8. What Took You So Long? (3:25)
9. I'm in the Middle of A Muddle (3:09)
10. Funny Face (0:50)
11. My Funny Valentine (6:11)
12. Polka Dots and Moonbeams (3:44)
If You Love Retro Jazz Divas, Emma Smith’s Latest Album May Be Just the Nostalgic Escape You’re Craving.
In a world where jazz continues to splinter into new subgenres and experimental hybrids, there remains a dedicated corner for the traditionalists, those who long for the glamour, charm, and vocal finesse of mid-century cabaret stars. If that’s where your musical tastes lie, then Emma Smith’s latest album will feel like a warm, velvet-draped invitation to a bygone era. But don’t come looking for innovation. This is not a record trying to reinvent jazz, but rather one that relishes in its past, delivered with exceptional vocal technique and an unwavering devotion to the genre’s golden age.
From the first track, it’s evident that Smith isn’t here to shock or surprise. She’s here to impress, and she does, albeit within the safe confines of tradition. Her voice is rich, precise, and emotionally intelligent, embodying the kind of control and elegance that have become increasingly rare in contemporary jazz vocals. Her phrasing, pitch, and ability to deliver even the most well-worn standards with conviction is a testament to her refined artistry.
Take her rendition of My Funny Valentine, for example. It arrives, predictably, as part of the tracklist, almost a rite of passage for any jazz vocalist hoping to align herself with the greats. Yet while her take is vocally extravagant, it perhaps tries too hard to make an impact, resulting in a version that feels more ornamental than revelatory. For some, the vocal flourishes will be dazzling; for others, including this reviewer, the excess may feel more like a distraction than a fresh interpretation.
Still, the buzz around Emma Smith is more than justified. Recently crowned the UK Parliament’s Jazz Vocalist of the Year, she’s riding a well-earned wave of acclaim. With an impressive resume that includes performances at the Royal Albert Hall and collaborations with musical heavyweights such as Michael Bublé, the Quincy Jones Orchestra, Jeff Goldblum, Bobby McFerrin, and Gregory Porter, Smith is no stranger to the international jazz circuit. Her rise is not a fluke, it’s the result of years of dedication, a rigorous touring schedule, and an unmistakable gift for stage presence.
Born into a family of musicians, a saxophonist mother and a trumpeter-composer father, jazz was less a choice for Smith than a calling. But her true hero, as she often shares in interviews, was her grandfather: a trombonist from London’s East End who made his way from British military bands to stages shared with legends like Frank Sinatra, Oscar Peterson, and Barbra Streisand. “He never missed a day of practice,” Smith recalls. “He taught me that your worth as an artist is only as strong as your last performance.” That mantra pulses through every track of this album, a meticulousness, a reverence, a sense of legacy.
And yet, for all that craftsmanship, one can’t help but wish she had taken more risks. This album — a collection of standards and familiar covers, is expertly produced, no doubt. But it also feels like a missed opportunity. With her immense talent and interpretive sensitivity, Smith is poised to do more than revisit the past; she’s capable of reshaping the present. A foray into original compositions, or even bold reworkings of the canon, would push her into a space where her artistry could speak even more profoundly.
As it stands, this is an album that plays it safe, too safe, perhaps, for those craving novelty or invention. But jazz purists, lovers of lush arrangements and crystalline vocals, will find much to admire here. It is, at its core, a tribute, to family, to tradition, and to the enduring power of a voice finely tuned to its purpose.
In the ever-expanding universe of jazz, there is still a place for this kind of elegant nostalgia. For some, Emma Smith’s album will feel like a cherished relic, lovingly dusted off and restored. For others, it may feel like a beautiful echo, too distant to stir the soul. Either way, it reminds us that sometimes, looking back can still feel like a meaningful journey, even if it doesn’t always lead somewhere new.
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