| Jazz |
This album clearly targets listeners devoted to the most traditional forms of jazz, those who find comfort in familiarity, precision, and a vintage elegance. It displays an accomplished vocal technique and lush, meticulously arranged instrumentation. Yet the repertoire is composed of songs we have all heard countless times before. Everything here is polished, luxurious, and flawless. And precisely because of that, it also feels sterile, an exercise in technical perfection that rarely engages the imagination.
The sense of anachronism is immediate. In a musical landscape defined by experimentation and personal expression, this album reads as a retreat, a nostalgic reconstruction of mid-20th-century jazz that prioritizes form over individuality. It reassures, but it does not challenge. It delivers beauty at a distance, but never urgency, risk, or distinctive artistic vision.
That tension is especially noticeable given that the singer is also a composer. Here, however, her creative voice is all but erased. There is little way to gauge where interpretation ends and original insight begins. The album recalls a generation of performers I encountered in 1980s recording studios: artists who sang funk in the morning, disco in the afternoon, blues in the evening, all with the same flawless but ultimately impersonal vocal technique. The skill was undeniable, but their performances, for all their elegance, often felt interchangeable. This album evokes that same professional, impeccably trained, yet emotionally contained approach.
This is not the kind of jazz we champion. Yet there is a broad audience for it, one that seeks reassurance in well-worn standards, smooth arrangements, and retro polish. In that sense, the record is explicitly commercial, a fact unsurprising given the artist’s career path.
In 2022, Alex worked with Disney Cruise Line and was part of the inaugural cast of the Disney Wish. As a pianist, she performed solo sets at the Nightingale piano bar, as well as trio and quartet shows spanning multiple genres. She was also a featured performer in two of the ship’s most popular productions, Victrophonics and Pirate’s Rockin’ Parlay Party, which uniquely combined live musicianship with fireworks, a first in Disney Cruise Line history. The album’s emphasis on polish, versatility, and audience-friendly appeal is a natural extension of this background.
With such a refined voice, it is tempting to enjoy the album on a purely aesthetic level. Yet the lack of personal imprint, of risk, of genuine compositional identity, leaves the listener aware of what is missing. One hopes that this record is a transitional moment, a prelude to a project where Alex Robinson’s creativity can fully emerge, a record that will allow critics to move beyond appreciation of technical skill to a true assessment of artistic personality.
For now, the pleasure is undeniable but superficial. It is enjoyable to hear a beautiful voice navigating elegant arrangements. But enjoyment is not conviction. This album reassures and comforts, yet ultimately feels like a polished showcase rather than a compelling artistic statement, a skillful performance without a soul, waiting for the moment when technique and personal vision finally intersect.
Thierry De Clemensat
Member at Jazz Journalists Association
USA correspondent for Paris-Move and ABS magazine
Editor in chief – Bayou Blue Radio, Bayou Blue News
PARIS-MOVE, January 19th 2026
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Musicians :
Alex Robinson, vocals
Jeremy Siskind, piano
Marlon Martinez, bass
Charles Ruggiero drums
Steven Robinson, trombone (1,7,8)
Tom Guerrerro, trumpet (2.8)
Doug Web, tenor saxophone (6,8)
Track Listing :
Happy to Make Your Acquaintance
Everything I’ve Got Belongs to You
I Really Oughta Tell You
If the Moon Turns Green
Very Good Advice
If I Should Lose You
Easy Living
Devil May Car
Angel Eyes
East of the Sun
One at a Time
Both Sides Now