This new album provides a feast of musical styles and influences: fiesta is just the word that it evokes. My memory has grown uncertain, but I think I first heard Jennifer Moore (Ayala) as a teenager, in Cambridge. I could never have predicted the depth and variety of development to come, as a vocalist, broadcaster and songwriter. YouTube has an interesting assortment of her early songs, including duets with Gilbert O’Sullivan and Horacio Palencia. Jennifer has always sung with passion and purpose, and grown a wide network of musical friends around her unique voice. Jazz was the foundation of her development but marriage to Juan Luis Ayala, and travel between Mexico, the US, Ireland and Britain, added new richness to her songs and extended her collaborations even wider. Juan’s development as a producer has been central to Ayala’s international appeal.
The eleven original songs on this Crossing are so diverse they defy any simple classification (although the press release calls them ‘jazz-soul’). For this review, I made several false starts attempting to categorise these tracks, before I realised it was necessary to remember the purposeful core of Ayala – this review now takes a functional standpoint. I think each song aims at particular listeners, for a specific impact.
For example, Love Is Surprising delivers great party music: ”we’re staying up all night !” I hope that someone (perhaps Jo Wiley on BBC Radio 2?) will interview Jennifer & Juan, about the festive mood they created.
“The Sun Has Come” delivers some Latin-influenced sway: “wild and free”, OK ? This just came out as a YouTube single, with the video showing Jennifer sailing through a vast field of poppies. How perfect it could be, to advertise an airline’s package holidays, on TV.
I guess I can hear an echo of Gilbert O’Sullivan in Step Into My Song, Ayala’s very personal tour of origins: “everything in between us will melt into the past”.
Some other people have compared Ayala to Amy Winehouse. In One Thing I Know, Jennifer does reach the desperate broken hearted, mourning their, one, love: “don’t let me go”.
Thankfully, the album also includes light-hearted pop, with “dandelions” blowin’ in the wind in “Pick Yourself Up”: I enjoyed the ripe backing vocals.
The backing singers also enrich the Gospel-infused number “You Forgive Me”: for penitent listeners who need some uplifting.
My favourite, understated, song, comes last. “Pocket” is aimed at an audience of just two, having a late night drink, when hope is wearing thin: “not the end, not yet”. Nightclubs take note !
Back in the golden era of transatlantic travel, ships strove for the accolade Blue Riband liner. Today The Crossing deserves the transatlantic Blue Riband.
TRACKLIST
Love Is Surprising
People With Walls
The Sun Has Come
Step Into My Song
One Thing I Know
Wheels Of Change
Mexico
Pick Yourself Up
My Experience
You Forgive Me
Pocket
Produced by Juan Luis Ayala, David Grant and Sam Grimley.
Recorded and mixed in London by Richard Woodcraft, at RAK studios.
Collaborating musicians Paul Turner, Alex Reeves, Chris Hill and Troy Miller.
The live launch will be in London on 5 September 2024 at the 606 Club.
The Digital Album will be released on 27 September 2024.
