Jim Tomlinson Featuring Stacey Kent – The Lyric

Jim Tomlinson Featuring Stacey Kent – The Lyric

A beautifully understated and lyrical jazz collection, The Lyric brings together saxophonist Jim Tomlinson and vocalist Stacey Kent in a setting defined by warmth, restraint, and conversational interplay. The result is a refined and intimate album where tone, phrasing, and mood take precedence over display.

Across a thoughtfully curated selection of standards and contemporary pieces, the album leans into the elegance of the Great American Songbook alongside Brazilian and French influences. Interpretations of Antônio Carlos Jobim’s “Corcovado” and “Outra Vez” sit naturally beside works by Cole Porter and Irving Berlin, highlighting the ensemble’s ability to unify diverse repertoire through a consistent, gentle aesthetic.

Stacey Kent’s vocal delivery is central to the album’s identity - clear, unforced, and emotionally direct - while Tomlinson’s tenor saxophone weaves around her lines with subtle harmonic support and melodic commentary. The arrangements avoid excess, instead favouring space, nuance, and finely judged dynamics.

With contributions from writers such as Michel Legrand and selections from musical theatre classics by Rodgers and Hammerstein, The Lyric becomes less a showcase of virtuosity and more an exercise in musical storytelling at its most graceful.

Quietly captivating and deeply musical, it’s an album that rewards close listening - where every note feels placed with intention.

Tracklist:

1. Manhã De Carnival
2. Corcovado
3. I’ve Grown Accustomed To Her Face
4. If I Were A Bell
5. I Got Lost In His Arms
6. What Are You Doing For The Rest Of Your Life?
7. Cockeyed Optimist
8. My Heart Belongs To Daddy
9. The Surrey With The Fringe On Top
10. Outra Vez
11. Jardin D’Hiver
12. Something Happens To Me
13. Stardust