A Singer Who’s at Home in Jazz Surroundings : ** 1/2 : KEVIN MAHOGANY “Songs and Moments” <i> Enja</i>

Mahogany’s jazz chops are obvious from the first notes he sings on the opening track, Grachan Moncur’s swinging “The Coaster.” Placing in a pure jazz environment, with an ensemble that includes Arthur Blythe on alto saxophone, Kevin Eubanks on guitar and Marvin (Smitty) Smith on drums and arrangements by Slide Hampton and Maria Schneider, Mahogany is perfectly at home, his vocals slipping comfortably in and around the hard grooving accompaniment and stretched-out instrumental soloing.

Curiously, despite his prior background as a baritone saxophonist, Mahogany is not a particularly good scat singer. His warm, resonant sound is considerably more effective on ballads--notably the lovely Milton Nascimento title track and standards such as “My Foolish Heart” and “When I Fall in Love,” as well as his gutty blues phrasing on “Next Time You See Me”--all of which are reminiscent of the classic vocalizing of his unmistakable model, Billy Eckstine. Intermittently plagued by intonation problems, Mahogany is a singer who is still finding his way, but he clearly has the capacity to mature into a major jazz performer.

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