Sarah Aili’s All Of Me (JACKACAB) is one of those increasingly rare occasions in jazz when best intentions, properly administered technology, flawless performances and the feel of a room coalesce into something that evokes a particular era in a way that’s devoid of nostalgia. Tracked live over two days at Nashville’s Pentavarit Studios by Aili’s husband Matthew Szlachetka and Grammy nominee Bobby Holland, just about every performance was captured in a first or second take. The album is dedicated to the singer’s grandmother Ethel, whose love of American Songbook standards inspired the collection.
“These songs were the gateway into my life as a vocalist,” says Aili. “Though my career has taken me through many genres and creative disciplines, jazz has always been home.”
In finding that sweet spot where inheritance intermingles with interpretation, All Of Me has a continuity and an emotional resonance beyond your typical covers album.
“My grandmother belonged to a generation of women who were often asked to choose between their creative ambitions and their families,” says Aili, whose first child, Hazel, was a month old by the time the LP was mastered by Ryan Smith at Sterling Sound. “From a young age, I hoped to find a way to honor both callings.”
For Aili, this live performance of “Stars Fell On Alabama” seems especially fitting. “It’s my husband’s favorite track on the record,” she says. “Its sense of wonder mirrors so much of what this season of life has felt like.”
We’re proud to premiere Sarah Aili’s “Stars Fell On Alabama” video. All Of Me is out now.
—Hobart Rowland
