| Jazz |
A Promising Voice in a Revered Tradition: Kieran Brown’s Debut Album Hints at a Daring Future
Faced with an album largely composed of covers, reverent, intricate interpretations of Great American Songbook standards—I initially chose to sidestep the familiar. Instead, I turned my attention to the two original compositions penned by the artist herself. That decision, as it turns out, revealed far more than a mere appreciation for tradition; it uncovered the emerging artistic voice of Kieran Brown, a singer whose talent is matched by a quiet boldness waiting to be unleashed.
Konrad Paszkudski, artistic director of Jazz at the Ballroom, is unequivocal in his praise: “The future of jazz and the Great American Songbook rests in the hands of this incredibly talented artist.” It’s easy to dismiss such statements as promotional hyperbole, until you listen. Yes, this is a classic album in its framing. But to label it only as such would be to miss its quiet, strategic ambition.
The material is demanding, these are not simple standards casually reinterpreted, but songs that require precision, emotional intelligence, and vocal control. So I skipped ahead to track five, “I’ll Love You Just the Same,” and what I heard confirmed that Brown’s technique is as refined as it is expressive. The track shimmers with restraint. You sense that Brown is consciously holding back, choosing instead to honor the shape and feel of the Songbook rather than pushing into the modern jazz-R&B fusion that she clearly has the ability to command. One can’t help but think of the early recordings of Nikki Yanofsky, another young vocalist with both chops and a complex artistic intuition.
It’s a common conundrum for a debut album: how much to risk, how far to lean into one’s future self. Brown seems to have made the savvy decision to first earn her place within a lineage, knowing full well that bolder choices will follow. In the context of that approach, “I’ll Love You Just the Same” becomes less a ballad and more a blueprint—an understated declaration of potential.
That impression only deepens with the second of her two original compositions, “Little Bits of Magic.” Here, something genuinely stirring happens. The song doesn’t just charm; it awakens curiosity. The kind that makes you want to know where this artist will take us next. And as I write these words before the official release of the album, that sense of anticipation is already tangible.
Brown’s talent goes beyond vocal prowess. She inhabits her songs with the instincts of a dramatist, weaving tone and narrative with a quiet authority. It’s no surprise, then, that her formal training matches the sophistication of her performance. A graduate of Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music, one of America’s premier music institutions, Brown studied under an impressive roster of jazz luminaries, including Sachal Vasandani, Darmon Meader (New York Voices), Lee Musiker (Tony Bennett’s longtime pianist), John Raymond, Dave Stryker, Greg Ward, Oliver Nelson Jr., and Todd Coolman.
She made her mark early as a standout soloist with the IU Soul Revue, led by the legendary bassist and producer Dr. James Strong (whose credits include Toni Braxton, Tupac, and LL Cool J), and performed with the Grammy Award–winning vocal ensemble The Singing Hoosiers. Each of these affiliations reflects not just skill, but a deep immersion in the breadth of American music, jazz, soul, pop, and tradition.
Only after listening to her two original works did I circle back to the rest of the album, now with a better sense of her artistic compass. What emerged was the profile of an artist at the threshold of something remarkable. Since relocating to New York City in April 2023, Brown has begun to build a presence on the city’s storied jazz scene, performing in esteemed venues like Dizzy’s Club at Jazz at Lincoln Center, Birdland, the Django, Mezzrow, Chelsea Table + Stage, and the Green Room 42. Her collaborators include some of the genre’s most respected musicians: Konrad Paszkudski and Mike Karn (veterans of the John Pizzarelli Quartet), Emmet Cohen, and Joe Farnsworth, to name just a few.
In the end, this debut album does more than showcase a gifted young vocalist; it introduces an artist of rare promise. With arrangements that are both elegant and intelligently crafted, the album reveals just enough of Brown’s deeper artistic ambitions to leave listeners hoping—and waitingfor what’s next.
And make no mistake: what comes next is worth waiting for.
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, June 3rd 2025
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Musicians :
Kieran Brown – Vocals (Tracks 1-10)
Tyler Henderson – Piano (Tracks 1-10)
Joey Ranieri – Bass (Tracks 1-6, 8, 9)
Joe Peri – Drums (Tracks 1-7, 8, 9)
Aaron Matson – Guitar (Tracks 1, 2, 4, 6, 7)
Jarien Jamanila – Alto (Tracks 1, 2)
Chris Lewis – Tenor (Tracks 1, 2, 4)
Tony Glausi – Trumpet (Tracks 1, 2, 9)
Jacob Melsha – Trombone (Tracks 1, 2)
Isabella Geis – Violin 1 (Track 3)
Emma Richman – Violin 2 (Track 3)
Cameren Williams – Viola (Track 3)
Iona Batchelder – Cello (Tracks 3, 10)
Eytan Schillinger-Hyman – Electric Bass (Track 7)
Nathan Farrell – Vocals (Track 8)
Joe Block – Arrangements (Tracks 3, 10)
Aaron Matson – Arrangements (Tracks 1, 2, 6)
Kieran Brown – Arrangements (Tracks 4-9)
Tracklist :
You’re Gonna Hear From Me
Do It Again
Emily
Meditation
I’ll Love You Just The Same
Alfie
Little Bits Of Magic
Loving You
Hallelujah, I Love Him So
Somewhere
Executive Producer: Cory Weeds, Kieran Brown
Recorded at Bunker Studios on June 29th, 2024
Engineered by: Aaron Nevezie
Mixed and mastered by: Aaron Nevezie, Alex DeTurk
Photography by: Margherita Andreani (Album Cover), June Cavlan (Studio Session)
Production Manager: Dominic Duchamp
Design & Layout: Tilda Hedwig