Kieran Brown, Loving You Review

By Stamish Malcuss

For those who believe the American Songbook is a living tradition, not a museum piece, Kieran Brown’s Loving You is cause for celebration. With this debut, Brown steps into the jazz world as an artist whose sense of phrasing, time, and tonal control speaks of deep study, interpretive individuality, and a musicality that feels timeless.

It’s easy to forget Brown is barely out of her teens. Her vocal approach already displays the kind of elasticity and poise one typically finds in far more seasoned interpreters. From the opening track, “You’re Gonna Hear from Me,” she channels André and Dory Previn’s theatrical defiance into a sultry jazz declaration. Her diction is crystalline, her tone warm and rounded, and her swing feel is sensual, relaxed, and exacting without ever sounding effortful. It’s not just an entrance; it’s a statement. “Listen world,” she sings, “you can’t ignore me,” and the phrasing makes it clear she means it. The classicism of her delivery, coupled with her musical instinct, makes the song feel less like a showtune and more like a jazz standard.

Brown surrounds herself with a talented ensemble of New York musicians, anchored by pianist Tyler Henderson and bassist Joey Ranieri. The charts are thoughtfully crafted, especially those by guitarist Aaron Matson and pianist-arranger Joe Block, both of whom understand how to feature Brown’s interpretive sensibilities.

“Emily” is adorned with Joe Block’s lush string arrangement, which brings out the cinematic tenderness embedded in Johnny Mandel’s harmonies, while Brown’s vocal performance reveals a beguiling contour and embellishments. Her timbral shift into the upper range is fluid in technical ascent as she captures the emotional core saturating Mercer’s lyrics.

As a songwriter, Brown makes her voice heard on “I’ll Love You Just the Same,” a refined jazz waltz that pulses with emotional clarity. Her melodic writing is confident, her harmonic motion assured, and her ability to imply pulse while stretching time shows a composer and performer who understands how to make her own music sing. In delivery and structure, Brown aligns herself with the lineage of singers who craft original material that lives comfortably beside standards, not as filler, but as meaningful self-expression.

This balance between reverence and originality is evident in “Alfie.” Burt Bacharach’s floating melody and building harmonies offer Brown, accompanied by Matson’s guitar, an expressive approach for each phrase. She shapes the story arc with intention, rising with emotion, and resolving with grace. Her storytelling unfolds with subtle inflections: the swell of a word, the slight delay of a consonant, the way she holds space between lyric and tone. The straight-eight feel offers clarity, allowing the emotional core of the song to shine.

Loving You closes with Bernstein and Sondheim’s “Somewhere,” and it is a fitting coda. There is grace in Brown’s delivery; she does not mimic the jazz greats of the past, but neither does she run from them. Instead, she joins the tradition through serious musicianship, respectful curiosity, and personal voice.

In an age where jazz vocals are often filtered through irony or studio polish, Brown offers sincerity, craft, and fire in Loving You. She sings as someone deeply in love with this music, yet clear-eyed about her own place within it. And in doing so, she delivers a debut that will satisfy jazz fans of the standards.