LA RESERVE (RELEASED JUNE 19, 2026)
On her last recording, Beyond the Golden Door, Armenian born Lucy Yeghaizaryan brought her intimate and elegant vocal styling to the music of her culture. With her new release, Hey Love!, she returns to the music she first heard on her father’s contraband recordings — American jazz, or more specifically the music of the Great American Songbook. Accompanied by pianist Tardo Hammer, bassist Peter Washington, drummer Kenny Washington, and augmented on some tracks with trumpeter Bruce Williams and saxophonist Grant Stewart (who appeared on two of her earlier releases), Yeghaizaryan presents a set of familiar and not so familiar tunes. Regardless of the genre (Aremenian or American) or familiarity, she imbues every tune with her ability to bring the lyrics to life in an engaging and charming manner. New to me are: the intricate melody line of M. Jenkin’s “Next Spring,” an upbeat swinger featuring solos from both Harris and Stewart, “Hey Love,” an original Yeghaizaryan performs accompanied only by drums before launching into the more familiar Jimmy Van Heusen classic “I Thought About You” with the trio; the overlooked Ellington ballad “Tonight I Shall Sleep with a Smile on My Face,” on which Williams and Stewart provide a sensitive underscore to Yeghaizaryan’s seductive vocals; and Arthur Siegel’s “Love Is A Simple Thing,” a tune Eartha Kitt recorded in 1952. The more familiar material includes: Cy Coleman’s “Witchcraft, “featuring a concise muted solo from Williams; an up-tempo take on Jimmy Davis’ “Lover Man;” a big band sounding arrangement of Richard Rodgers “Loads of Love;” and an appropriately swinging version of Van Heusen’s “Come Dance With Me.” Johnny O’Neal makes a cameo appearance on two tracks — he plays piano on Leonard Feather’s “Blow Top Blues,” which includes a brief taste of Yeghaizaryan’s tasty scatting; and joins Yeghaizaryan for a vocal duo on Sammy Cahn’s “Dedicated To You.” Kudos to the rhythm section for providing a solid and unobtrusive foundation on which Yeghaizaryan can soar and swing. When asked about Yeghaizaryan, trumpeter Jay Magnarelli’s said, “she’s a breath of fresh air.’ So is Hey Love!
BOTTOM LINE: Lucy Yeghaizaryan is a converocalist, meaning she has the unique ability to make each song she approaches an intimate conversation with her listeners. On her new release Hey Love! she puts that magical touch on ten familiar and not so familiar tunes. Her warmth and charm, plus the accompaniment of a stellar ensemble, makes Hey Love! a welcome addition to her growing discography.
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