South African born singer Esther Miller’s star continues to rise. Since moving to the UK she has established herself as one of the best vocalists on the scene, initially establishing a following on the Midlands jazz circuit but now enjoying a national reputation.

The former medical student from Port Elizabeth cut one album in her homeland ,“Say Hello To Esther”  (1999) before moving to Britain. “Invitation” (2002) and “Dream Dancing” (2005) were both very good albums featuring the cream of the Birmingham scene including the outstanding trumpeter Bryan Corbett. The latter is reviewed elsewhere on this site.

“A Place In The Sunlight” finds her working with London based musicians Steve Waterman (trumpet) and Steve Melling (piano/keyboards) plus John Perry (drums) and Zoltan Dekany (bass), the latter a stalwart from Miller’s two previous UK albums. The great Peter King guests on alto saxophone on “Please Don’t Ever Leave Me”, a tune written by himself.

The other radical departure on “A Place In The Sunlight” is a move away from the jazz standards repertoire and a greater focus on original material written by the band members themselves. Yes, there are cover versions too but these are an eclectic mixture that draw on a variety of sources and are not in any way predictable. It all makes for an interesting album with exemplary performances from both the singer and her instrumentalists. 
I first heard Miller in her Midlands based days when she played the tiny Blue Note bar in my home town of Leominster in 2004. Accompanied only by the keyboard of Gerry Spencer it was immediately apparent that she was a highly talented singer. Unfortunately my enjoyment, and that of several other listeners, was spoilt by the boorish behaviour of a large group at a neighbouring table who were noisily celebrating a birthday. I thought their behaviour was the height of rudeness and told them so, they were not only upsetting me but Miller herself was also visibly distressed. Initially they lapsed into sullen silence but as is so often the case this was only a temporary respite. Later I bumped into one of the party in the gents and once again told him what I thought of him and his friends. More harsh words and even threats of violence ensued, it was the closest I’d got to getting into a fight since I was a schoolboy, more years ago than I care to remember. I feel that Miller’s success since has more than vindicated my stance. I remember buying “Invitation” on the night and being impressed, as I was with “Dream Dancing” when I reviewed it for this site at a later date. I wonder if Esther remembers that night in Leominster. I’d like to think she doesn’t have to put up with that kind of thing any more but some of the things you hear about Ronnie Scott’s suggests otherwise.

Anyway, I digress. This album commences with “Just for Love” a tune written by pianist and chief arranger Steve Melling with a lyric by Tina May, another of the UK’s most elegant vocalists. Miller turns in a fine interpretation of the song with Melling’s piano taking the instrumental honours. As on her previous recordings Miller leaves ample room for her accompanists to express themselves. “A Place In The Sunlight” is very much a group performance. 

“Children Of The Wind”, originally “Kinders van die Wind” by South African songwriter Koos Du Plessis is an arresting exploration of Miller’s South African roots. The folk melody has an almost hymnal quality with Waterman’s trumpet and Melling’s piano evoking the feel of township jazz. Miller even sings a verse in Afrikaans on this delightful number.

The title track by Melling and Helen Williams features Miller’s pure and wistful vocal, Melling’s lyrical piano and Perry’s sympathetic drumming.

“Shawn’s Uhadi Samba” co-written by Miller and Hotep Idris Galeta is another African flavoured piece but with a samba twist. The almost childlike melody is embellished by fine performances from Melling and Waterman. 

Dekany’s bass takes the lead on James Taylor’s “Don’t Let Me Be Lonely Tonight” . The stark, minimalist arrangement for just bass and vocal is blues tinged and highly effective, emphasising the purity of Miller’s voice.
Unfortunately I’m less keen on The Dekany/Miller piece “Turn It Around”, a rather tepid piece of soul jazz featuring Melling on electric piano. He sounds far better on the acoustic instrument. Waterman’s burnished trumpet offers some salvation but for me this is the weakest cut on the album thus far.
King quickly redresses the balance with a typically classy performance on his own “Please Don’t Ever Leave Me”. It sounds like something straight out of the Great American Songbook and “Chan Parker” is credited as the co-composer. I can only assume this is a veiled reference to Charlie, the “Bird” himself. 

“Cause” by co-written by American trumpeter Jeremy Pelt and one Becca Stevens is another highly effective piece. The brooding arrangement features the understated intensity of Waterman’s muted trumpet alongside Miller’s smouldering vocals. In this masterful Melling arrangement the electric piano actually works, in fact the whole thing is generally excellent.

“Chan’s Song”, credited to Herbie Hancock and Stevie Wonder begins with a beautiful pared down arrangement for voice and piano. The tune then segues into “Nowhere To Go” an arrangement by Waterman of a tune co-written by him and saxophonist Duncan Lamont. The Latin tinged arrangement allows the trumpeter plenty of room to stretch out and demonstrate his prodigious technique. Drummer Perry also features prominently and Melling also turns in a characteristically excellent performance. 

“Little Butterfly (Pannonica)” is an example of vocalese with singer Jon Hendricks adding words to Thelonious Monk’s composition. Miller offers a relaxed, languid interpretation with Melling and Waterman adding pithy, cogent solos.
“Psalm For EM” co-written by Miller and Dave Young is a heartfelt tribute to Miller’s late parents, movingly sung and elegantly played. Stripped of unnecessary adornment it is economical and highly effective.

The playful blues “What About Us” co-written by Melling and Miller immediately lightens the mood. The singer is clearly enjoying herself on this tale of life on the road and the players respond in kind, all turning in enjoyable solo cameos.

The closing “Lament”  by Helge Nysted and Siri Nilsen shows that Miller has been keeping an eye on the burgeoning Scandinavian jazz scene. Melling’s beautiful arrangement for just voice and piano ends the album on an elegiac note. 
“A Place In The Sunlight” is an attractive album full of quality performances from Miller and her band. This is the sound of a singer finding her own voice, moving away from tried and tested material and coming up with something more personal and adventurous. With the occasional exception this works very well and her new direction is to be applauded. Some of these performances are very good indeed and the singer covers an impressive range of moods and styles over the course of the album, benefiting greatly from Melling’s arranging skills. The lack of well known standards may discourage some potential buyers but it is to be hoped that Miller receives due reward for her efforts.

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