Kelly Green, Corner of My Dreams Reviews

By Stamish Malcuss

Kelly Green’s Corner of My Dreams is an album that showcases a singer-pianist and composer at full command of color, contrast, and emotional architecture. Written in honor of her late mother, the project plays like a suite of memories: some bright, some shadowed, all shaped with conviction. The set of eight originals is her most personal work to date, as the album feels designed from the inside out, with vocal lines, string writing, and trio interplay woven into a unified emotional arc.

At the core of the album is Green on lead vocals and piano, anchoring each of the eight compositions she wrote and orchestrated. She is accompanied by a finely tuned jazz trio of Luca Soul Rosenfeld (upright bass) and Evan Hyde (drums) on tracks 1, 2, 4, 6, and 8, providing rhythmic drive and harmonic depth. Around them unfolds a graceful all-female string quartet (violinists Ludovica Burtone & Tomoko Akaboshi, violist Kayla Williams, and cellist Maria Figueroa) which weaves classical textures into Green’s jazz-rooted voice and trio. Rounded out by a vocal quartet of Michael Mayo (bass voice), Jimmy Kraft (tenor), Tahira Clayton (alto), and Emily Braden (soprano), with Green doubling as soprano on selected tracks. The various ensemble creates a polished, layered sound palette that offers variable ensemble richness.

From the opening track to the final cadence, Green’s signature is unmistakable: heightened melodic sensitivity, rich harmonic environments, and a willingness to let a song travel through multiple textures and rhythmic gears. She is a solid soprano vocalist, and this album captures her clarity of line. As a composer, her multi-section writing and string integration offer a rich setting to enjoy the music. For jazz fans, it’s simply a deeply affecting listen.

“Let Me In” announces the album’s aesthetic with airy textures, shifting feels, and expressive clarity from Green at both the piano and the mic. The rhythm section sets a simmering pulse that grows from a modern broken-swing feel into a straight-ahead swing during the piano solo. Green uses the trio like a set of gears: tutti left-hand lines with the bass locked in, string passages that bloom across the changes, and a vocal tone that merges cleanly with the extended harmony. Her vocal delivery is emotive without excess; the melodies stretch naturally across the harmony, and her time feel is in the pocket. As an album opener, this tune establishes a mood and language for what is to come.

The title track is a waltz, and Green treats it with an airy touch. What stands out is her phrasing contour. She places notes with meaning, letting the lightness of her soprano blend into the ensemble. The melody is immediately memorable, moving with a dancer’s glide above the trio’s pulse. The strings play a central role with ornamentation and harmonic infrastructure. Their presence deepens the waltz feel, giving Green room to shape phrases subtly, especially on sustained peaks. Her piano playing stays central, leading the ensemble to blooming textures.

A chamber-like interlude for strings alone, “Tea with Kathie” shows Green’s compositional and orchestration chops at their most exposed. The writing highlights her mixing of contemporary classical and jazz harmonic language, and that’s exactly how it functions inside the album’s arc. It’s a window into Green’s foundational voice as a composer. The writing is balanced, lyrical, and narrative, reminiscent of modern string quartets that fold jazz sonorities into classical structures. It gives listeners a moment of reflection before the album’s emotional depth intensifies.

“When It’s Time to Go” features the trio with no vocals. The trio creates phrases of tension and release. Green’s piano performance is fluid and grounded in post-bop colors, never overstated, and the pacing tells a story. “Nothing At All (Intro)” is a micro-movement for strings, preparing the ear for the full tune to follow. It’s harmonically rich, setting up thematic material that returns in “Nothing At All.” Green uses these short string statements as structural markers, and each one subtly shifts the emotional temperature.

“Nothing At All” is a lyrical statement that sits at the intersection of jazz balladry and singer-songwriter introspection. Green’s soprano line floats above the trio with ease, with Luca Soul Rosenfeld and Evan Hyde giving supportive lift. The bass-voice choir (Michael Mayo, Jimmy Kraft, Tahira Clayton, and Emily Braden) adds an unexpected but effective color that expands the sonic palette. The tune has a steady, breathing pulse, with harmonic turns that land cleanly.

“Blue and Green,” despite the title’s nod toward the jazz canon, is a Green original. The performance moves with clarity from a solo piano front half to Green adding her vocals for the latter half. The harmonic motion leans introspective, with Green using swell-crafted voicings and textures to create an alluring atmosphere. Her vocal delivery sits wonderfully within the piano’s intimate storytelling.

A closing track, “At Eternity’s Sunrise,” offers a wide scope of contemporary sounds.. Early on, the trio develops the composition with a contemporary jazz/rock/pop blend. The stylistic hybrid sound moves through many textures and feels. Strings have a supportive color, shading the harmonic field. Green’s vocal writing is expansive, stretching into arcs that feel like a synthesis of the entire album’s language. As a finale, it’s ambitious and deeply satisfying, tying together the suite-like flow of the project.

Corner of My Dreams is Kelly Green’s album where vocal craft, compositional depth, and ensemble design speak in the same voice. It’s an enjoyable listen with its various ensemble phrasings and contours. Green has created a work of memory and motion, shaped with intention and performed with heart.