Occasionally, one comes across a male vocalist who has a very female style of singing and actually sounds like he could be a woman -- and that can be an artistic plus. It has certainly worked well for
Jimmy Scott
, one of the finest male
jazz
vocalists of all time. And having a female-sounding voice is also a positive for
singer/songwriter
Brett Dennen
, whose
So Much More
demonstrates that he shares
Scott
's strong appreciation of
Billie Holiday
. But unlike
,
Dennen
is not a
singer; his turf is
folk-rock
, and
Tracy Chapman
is as strong an influence -- or an even stronger influence -- than
Lady Day
. The
Holiday
influence asserts itself in his vocal phrasing but not stylistically or genre-wise;
Chapman
, however, has influenced
's songwriting in addition to influencing his soulful phrasing. The feminine quality that
brings to his introspective, sometimes melancholy performances doesn't mean that he is devoid of male influences; discerning listeners will also hear traces of
Bob Dylan
and
Dave Matthews
in his material (
clearly shares
Matthews
' appreciation of African
pop
). And none of these influences -- either female or male -- are people
goes out of his way to emulate; it's clear that
is his own person whether he is reflecting on romantic matters or sociopolitical concerns. Gratefully,
avoids being preachy on his more sociopolitical lyrics; his approach is understated and subtle, and he doesn't come across as someone who is getting on a soapbox and beating listeners over the head with his beliefs.
isn't quite as consistent as it could have been -- some of the tracks are excellent, others not as memorable -- but overall, this 2006 release shows
to be an intriguing and expressive part of
. ~ Alex Henderson