INTERVIEW/PROFILE: Gretchen Parlato: Jazz from Soul

Jazz interpretations of R&B tunes aren't anything new. Still, early-'90s New Jack Swing seems like unlikely source material for winning jazz improvisation. Singer Gretchen Parlato, however, chooses wisely with her glowing makeover of SWV's 1992 hit "Weak." Superbly re-arranged by pianist Robert Glasper, Parlato's "Weak" receives a rhythmic pulse that's elastic and pneumatic by comparison, sometimes evoking the feel of bossa nova. Parlato's feather-light voice aptly captures the essence of the s...

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