KATE BAKER AND VIC JURIS

Kate Baker’s debut recording was her late husband Vic Juris’s swan song. But that’s not the beginning, nor the end, of the story. In early 2019, the married collaborators — who had performed together for two decades — recorded Return to Shore. A captivating set of duo recordings, the album showcased Baker’s fluid, radiant voice and Juris’s supple guitar mastery in an intimate, unadorned setting. Tragically, soon after these sessions, Juris learned he had neuroendocrine cancer. That New Year’s Eve=, the disease took his life at 66. Upon Return to Shore’s release on Oct. 7, 2022, the plaudits were extraordinary. Downbeat assigned the album 4 and a half stars; the Arts Fuse deemed it one of the best jazz albums of 2022; Making a Scene called it “one of the most intimate, tender recordings in recent memory.” The album’s backstory drew jazz critics to identify emotional power in the choice of material: read more...