MISSOULIAN ENTERTAINER
ERICA PARFIT
A voice in flight and a bass full of soul

The album starts with a dark baseline, bouncing off rhythms with a rebel beat. Then in calls a clear, lone sound. Jeni Fleming's voice caresses the heavy down beat, creating divergence that is more than pleasing.

This new album by the Jeni Fleming Acoustic Trio, "The Trinity tour," is a gem in vocal jazz recordings. Much like Norah Jones, Jeni Fleming's voice is deep and cool. Few jazz vocalists can achieve such a sound with the appearance of such ease. Her voice glides from her like the clear call of a flute, but with every bit of the soul of a stand-up base. She sings through ballads, sleek jazz tunes, gospel and old folk favorites with dedication for each note and a classy style. The beauty of this album is the authentic sound that comes from one who doesn't push herself to be something she is not, and therefore is fuller, stronger and better than she may have even intended.

Jake Fleming, the trio's guitarist, plays straightforwardly and vibrantly. He can be gentle strumming about hopes and dreams, or dark and mysterious for the deep down heart of jazz sound. Chad Langford brings the bass to the trio, making the sound complete. His bass is the raw soul-bouncing and gliding, too deep to resist the jazz pull, but too fast to be sucked out of the elusive sparkle; the glint in the eye of a jazz musician who becomes the music.

The trio plays a variety of tunes on the live recording-part of it was recorded in Virginia City-including a version of "Amazing Grace" that sounds like Antonio Carlos Jobim meets and acoustic Dave Matthews, and a touching rendition of "Over the Rainbow". An original pop ballad by Jake Fleming sits alongside a very cool rendition of Jack Lawrence and Arthur Altman's "All or Nothing at All", where Chad lets the bass free, and Jeni's true vocal talent takes center stage. The album ends with a tune combining the gospel tune "He Looked Beyond My Faults" and "Danny Boy", gently pulling the covers up and putting this gorgeous CD to bed.

The magic behind "The Trinity Tour" is that is contains all the dichotomies that create good jazz. Jeni's voice is precise and golden, and Langford's bass is the deep soul which keeps her echo from flying away. Jake Fleming brings the album its pop and ballad sounds which makes the album more accessible to a larger audience, though maybe not as appealing to jazz enthusiasts. But this jazz enthusiast says that for all the variance of themes, these musicians are good, and Fleming's voice is one I could listen to for hours and hours on end.