Kimber Manning

WWW.INFUZEMAG.COM REVIEW BY:BRIAN PALMER



I can't wait for Kimber Manning to write her own songs.



Who, you might be asking, is Kimber Manning, and why the heck am I so excited about her? She is a jazz songstress who has released a fantastic indie album you ought to get your hands on. Eventually--her debut release--is a collection of 11 covers that run the gamut from upbeat and funky to slow and passionate. Best of all, her vocals draw you in naturally without all the esuperfluous bombast of many of today's popular artists.



The title track is a sultry number, where Manning showcases everything from light and breathy vocals to skyscraping cries when talking about the man she has her eyes on. She stops short of going into the theatrics of someone like Celine Dion or Christina Aguilera, but still injects enough oomph into the words to make them come alive. The funky, piano-driven "Recipe For Love" is a saucy-yet-cute track about how good she and an unnamed guy are together. It has that fun, "one cup of you plus one cup of me, makes." vibe that gets you singing and tapping your toes in about a nanosecond.



Manning's vocals are scrumptuous, in a word. Anyone who digs the lounge singer style of jazz will enjoy what they hear on Eventually, especially on her oh-so-great-for-slow-dancing-with-your-honey cover of "At Last." Manning has such confidence in her voice that she doesn't feel obligated to show off every other second, which is refreshing when you think all the female singers today who think they have to throw their voice in a thousand directions to be appreciated.



As I said at the beginning, I can't wait for her to write her own lyrics. These songs have a great sound to them (Jason Webb's piano is magnificent on "Walkin' After Midnight" for instance) and Manning's killer voice is more than enough to draw your attention, but the one drawback is that none of this material is hers. A minor thing perhaps, but it does leave me wondering how that part of her repertoire will fare once she tests it out. Here's hoping the next record is full of her own words.



This is one guy who will be paying attention to her next step because it should be a big one. We're probably not looking at the next Norah Jones here, but Kimber Manning is a talent that has to be heard to be believed. If you don't believe me, listen to her gorgeous rendition of "What A Wonderful World." She saves the best for last with this track, truly making it her own, and while this song never gets old to me, I feel like I'm hearing it for the first time when she sings it.



Get your hands on this record if you can; you won't be sorry.



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