Track listing: Into the Music, Towers, Dear Prudence, Blue Collar, Light Up My Room, My World is Beginning Today, A Million Miles Away, He's A Tramp, My Favorite Things a la Trane, Midnight at the Oasis, Mercy Street, I Can't Give You Anything but Love
Gilded & Silver is the new album from Seattle-based jazz vocalist Heather Ward. Collectively, it serves as a tribute to Ward's musical mentors and their legacy. On the heels of her debut album Honeysweet, Gilded & Silver channels her own interpretations of some legendary songs along with originals--all featuring her velvety vocals alongside a stellar lineup of backing musicians.
Heather grew up on the voices of Sarah Vaughan and Dinah Washington, evident in her delivery and nuanced vocal trills and fills. The approach taken on both the covers and originals throughout Gilded & Silver is all-pro. Envision whatever you like--a basement jazz bar in Berlin to high-dollar exclusive black tie affair--and Ward has it covered.
Track-by-track, Gilded & Silver impresses. She wrote "Into the Music" as a tribute in honor of her jazz mentor Hugh Fraser and her uncle Joe Edmonds. She recounts that Fraser embodied a jazz musician's appreciation of the moment. "I’m just so into the music," Ward recalls him frequently musiing. She brings out that intrinsic passion for each moment in the piece. It's simply gorgeous and utterly emotive.
A fun surprise change-up is her cover of The Beatles' "Dear Prudence." Eschewing the psychedelic nature of the original, until the very end's outro, her take on the song is a straight-ahead club ballad. Order another scotch, drop a $20 tip into the jar, and enjoy the hell out of Ward honestly having a ball with the Lennon & McCartney classic.
A delightful mashup of sorts is "My Favorite Things a la Trane." It contains all of the essential elements of Rodgers & Hammerstein's composition from Sound of Music. But the 'bonus' is a great deal of free-flowing improvisation, a mélange of jazz chords, and some fun with tempos in the vein of John Coltrane. Any music fan has heard a number of versions of this traditional number but Ward really brings some original creativity to the mix. You just have to imagine the band had a lot of fun with this one.
Take the time to visit heatherwardstudios.com and dive into Heather Ward's musical presence. She's performing live, giving lessons, doing voiceover work--the whole 9 yards of what vocal talents are doing in 2025. She's the real deal, as evidence in part by the entirety of Gilded & Silver.