| Jazz |
Kelly Green and the Art of Dream-Making: A Jazz Voice that Redefines the Genre
This is not the first time I’ve written about Kelly Green, and it almost certainly won’t be the last. Green is one of those rare artists whose musical universe is so poetic, so deeply personal, that within just a few bars, she draws you in completely. On her latest release, she invites us to the very corner of her dreams, and believe me when I say: this is an album that will endure. Its staying power lies not only in the sheer beauty of the compositions, the lyrical craft, and the finely wrought arrangements, but in Green’s extraordinary interpretive skill.
Kelly Green does something few artists can, she redraws the contours of jazz itself. She folds in classical textures with the finesse of a seasoned composer, and her lyrics are sculpted with such delicacy and intent that one could imagine her simply speaking them and still being equally compelling. There is a touch of musical theatre in the way she frames her stories, not in any superficial sense, but in that rich interplay between narrative and emotion, intellect and instinct. Listening to her work is like opening a book written by the soul itself, vulnerable, complex, and unapologetically authentic.
Over the course of her discography, Green has steadily built a body of work that feels increasingly fearless. She does not pander to trends. She does not seek to be anything but exactly who she is: a multifaceted artist navigating the vast emotional terrain of modern jazz. And in doing so, she has become one of the most quietly revolutionary vocalists of her generation.
This latest album is also elevated by an impressive ensemble of collaborators. It’s hard not to smile when you see names like Andromeda Turre, Michael Mayo, and Emily Braden in the liner notes, artists who represent the very best of contemporary jazz. Each of them brings a sense of urgency and sophistication to the music that mirrors Green’s own artistic ethos. Together, they form a collective that is not only musically accomplished, but also deeply engaged, artistically and, perhaps, politically, in the evolution of the art form.
Born and raised in Florida, Green began singing at an early age and took up the piano at just seven. Her love affair with jazz began at eleven, when she and her father, Jeff Green, a professional bassist and sound engineer, started attending the Jamey Aebersold Jazz Workshops each summer. It was likely there that she developed the expansive artistic vision that defines her today, along with an almost obsessive pursuit of sonic excellence. And though her style is her own, this new album evokes the same kind of emotional magnitude found in the most iconic recordings, think Sinatra at his most introspective and expansive. There’s that same sense of grandeur, that confrontation with the immensity of the human experience.
Take the track “Blue and Green,” for example. It plays with all the subtle wit and wistful charm of a musical illusion—you almost expect Miles Davis himself to slip into the room unnoticed. You wait. You imagine. But just as the anticipation reaches its quiet breaking point, it’s Green’s voice, clear, commanding, transcendent, that shatters the spell and brings you back.
There’s no doubt: Kelly Green is one of the most gifted vocalists working today. She owns her artistry in the same way Dalí owned his melting clocks and surreal landscapes, with unshakable confidence in her vision and an embrace of the fantastical. And just when you think she has said all she needs to say, a kind of gospel finale lifts the album into yet another realm, one supported by the stunning vocals of the very artists mentioned above.
Perhaps the most telling sign of this album’s success is the emptiness you feel when it ends. Like closing a Paul Auster novel, you find yourself longing to begin again. And when you do return, you hear it differently: the subtleties of the arrangements, the layering of voices, the interplay of jazz and classical, dream and dialogue, all of it becomes even more rewarding.
In a year filled with strong releases, this album stands out not only as Kelly Green’s most personal to date, but arguably her most fully realized work yet.
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, July 15th 2025
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Available August 22, 2025, here
Tracklist :
- Let Me In
- Corner of My Dreams
- Tea with Kathie
- When It’s Time To Go
- Nothing At All (Intro)
- Nothing At All
- Blue and Green
- At Eternity’s Sunrise
Musicians :
Kelly Green – Lead Vocals/Piano
Luca Soul Rosenfeld – Upright Bass
Evan Hyde – Drum Set
Andromeda Turre – Percussion
Ludovica Burtone – Violin 1
Tomoko Akaboshi – Violin 2
Kayla Williams – Viola
Maria Figueroa – Cello
Michal Mayo – Bass Voice
Jimmy Kraft – Tenor Voice
Tahira Clayton – Alto Voice
Kelly Green/ Emily Braden – Soprano Voice