And then there is intoxication. The symptoms are obvious - distraction and euphoria – and it would be no surprise if you were to get the same symptoms with Sara Mitra and her album “Losing You”.
This is not, however, an album to be enjoyed with some downmarket tonic wine. Sara Mitra is way too classy for that. She’s one for a bottle from the better vineyards where heritage and quality are, now and always, paramount. Nor is her album a routine replay of all the old jazz standards although there is a fine selection of covers included all the way from a sublime and elegant version of “Baltimore Oriole” to a downright petulant take on “Bang Bang”.
She has the courage to take chances and her musical sense of adventure continually serves her well with her haunting rendition of the traditional “She Moved Through The Fair” providing the album’s highlight. That said, her own compositions, especially “The Secret Sorrow of the Travelling Man” and “Love Affair”, are hot on the heels of that exquisite song.
Whilst her disciplined voice and innate style clearly mark Sara Mitra as a jazz singer of note, it would indeed be a shame if an appreciation of her music were to be limited to that particular genre. The whole world has ears and she deserves to be heard by them all. My glass is, once again, raised in her honour.
The vinyl LP version is a limited edition of 300 copies.