Jann Klose
(self-released)
The word "transcultural" only begins to describe Jann Klose's journey to date. The German native grew up in Kenya, high schooled in Cleveland and ultimately settled in the Bronx. After tours with the Jekyll and Hyde and Jesus Christ Superstar stage productions, Klose returned to his music career, which had included a stint with the Cleveland Opera Chorus and a couple of solo albums. Whew.
All that experience results in an interesting gumbo on Reverie, Klose's first full length studio album in nearly a decade. There are wonderfully atmospheric folk pop moments reminiscent of the most accessible work of David Gray and Francis Dunnery ("Beautiful Dream," "Mother Said, Father Said") and others that shimmer like Sting's latterday jazz leanings via a contemporary Kurt Weill songwriting angle ("Doing Time") and still others that hint at his African connection ("Watching You Go"). Klose doesn't fit comfortably in any particular genre, with jazz and pop and folk elements woven tightly into his sonic textures in a way that guarantees a relatively broad appeal across stylistic lines.
Standout Tracks: "Doing Time," "Question of the Heart," "Watching You Go" BRIAN BAKER
