(TCB)

For singer Kendra Shank and guitarist John Stowell, New York Conversations is the documentation of a longtime musical friendship. Shank and Stowell initially went into the studio at the suggestion of the latter’s childhood friend, John Kilgore, a recording engineer in New York. It became apparent soon after that the informal sessions that there was magic in the spontaneity and chemistry between the voices involved. This led to a more formal endeavor, which is the recording. The project truly does have the feeling of a conversation between friends, as they make their way through inventive original compositions, as well as covering a wide swath of the Great American Songbook. The set nicely re-imagines tunes by Irving Berlin, Woody Guthrie, Rodgers and Hart, and Van Heusen and Burke, among others. In addition to singing lead, Shank also adds other vocals and harmonies to the mix. The result of it all is a nice production that has the coziness of a performance in your own living room, only better.