Jen Chapin

“Linger” (Hybrid Recordings)

While it introduces singer-songwriter Jen Chapin’s, jazzy yet delicate full-band sound (as opposed to the vocals-and-bass duo approach of 2002’s “Open Wide”), “Linger” is equally a showcase for the singer’s soulful vocals (think Billie Holiday and Phoebe Snow), her pointed lyrics, and her considerable songwriting chops, which range from the African folk of “Me Be Me” to the Latin-inflected “’Til I Get There” to the urban-folk epic, “City,” which quietly builds to a dramatic emotional and musical climax worthy of mid-‘70s Springsteen. The musicianship is always first-rate in the service of the vocalist, with special props to bassist/producer Stephan Crump and keyboardist Peter Rende. An aural, sensual delight, and one of the year’s best. [ 3/7/04 ]


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