The Color Five
At first listen, the low-throated Jaqui Naylor is reminiscent of Madeleine Peyoux; but unlike Peyroux, Naylor sometimes sounds as if she's trying too hard. Not vocally, mind you (the singer remains smoothly assured throughout) but in her choice of arrangements: Some of the selections are sung to other songs' melodies in what Naylor calls "acoustic smashes" (which are described as "orchestrated blends of two different songs, usually a classic rock tune with a jazz standard.")The Color Fiveis split three ways between traditional covers, the "acoustic smash" covers, and Naylor originals (which have a kind of Lucinda Williams vibe). The standards are all obvious, perhaps too much ("Blue Moon," "Summertime," "Love for Sale") but they're done nicely. It's on the pop-rock selections that the acoustic smashing sometimes goes awry. The Kinks' "Lola," done to Lee Morgan's "Sidewinder," is oddly winning as an organ-driven, conga-accented number, and Rod Stewart's "Hot Legs" is sung to Herbie Hancock's funky "Cantaloupe Island." But U2's "I Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" ("acoustically smashed" to the tune of Miles Davis' "All Blues") unfortunately brings to mind Bill Murray's old lounge-singer act onSaturday Night Live. It's nice to see Naylor take chances, but sometimes you have to find the gold within a song, not import it from somewhere else.--Elisabeth Vincentelli