Album Review of
Lost In A Dream

Written by Joe Ross
July 16, 2021 - 11:15am EDT
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Kristin Callahan is an up-and-coming jazz vocalist who made her auspicious recording debut in 2010 with A New Love, an album described as having an “intimate lounge sound.” In 2013, she released One Magic Day that demonstrated her familiarity with a variety of swinging classics from the Great American Songbook. Now, Lost in a Dream features her captivating, wistful vocalizing in eight Latin-tinged songs that also include colorings of guitar, trumpet, sax, bass, drums and percussion. The album’s co-producer and bassist, Eliot Seppa, arranged five of the songs including “A Lush Life,” “Round Midnight,” “Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise,” “Caravan” and “The Shadow of Your Smile.” The rhythmically-enticing “Caravan” simply gets into the groove, complemented by Tom Teasley’s percussion, Joe Herrera’s trumpet, and Lee Pearson’s drums.  

Callahan composed the evocative title cut, “Lost in a Dream,” a lonely tale of longing for love. One odd track is the minute-long instrumental, “Memories Always Start” that paints a unique soundscape with bass, trumpet and percussion. In a sparse duo setting to close the set, guitarist Matvei Sigalov supports the vocalist in his meditative arrangement of Jobim’s “Once I Loved.” Kristin Callahan chooses fairly accessible material to reinterpret from her perspective.  She surrounds herself with consummate musicians who stay away from formulaic arrangements, and her biggest strength is her sweet, charming voice that embellishes the music’s effervescent blend. With only eight songs, the set ends too quickly and left me yearning for more from this talented and versatile singer.  (Joe Ross, Roots Music Report)