Players

“Red Dress”

(Open Mic)

If it seems to some jazz fans that vocalist Eugenie Jones materialized out of the ether, well, that’s understandable. The longtime Seattle resident had earned an MBA, married and raised a family all before putting out her debut recording Black Lace Blue Tears in 2013. The album revealed a fresh voice, not just through her approach to jazz singing, but in her songwriting, both of which graced her follow-up album Come Out Swingin’ in 2015, as well. For her third album, Jones has recorded two discs’ worth of material, encompassing original and standard material and released under the apt title Players (Open Mic). Jones enlisted the talents of veteran and rising star musicians on sessions from New York City to Dallas to Chicago and back home to Seattle, lending a variety of textures and feels to the various tracks. In Chicago, for example, she connected with bassist Lonnie Plaxico on the recommendation of bass stalwart Reggie Workman, with whom she recorded in New York. The Chicago group was rounded out by trumpeter Marquis Hill, pianist Kevin O’Connell and drummer Xavier Breaker, who bring a sultry, late-night vibe to Jones’ “Red Dress,” included here. Expressing personal empowerment and self-affirmation, Jones extols the magic of the title garment and the confidence that comes with knowing one is dressed to kill. “Don’t worry, baby,” she sings, “I only use these powers for good.”