For those not in the know, in today’s streaming world, the process to broadcast the news about an artist’s forthcoming album involves a series of catchy preview singles that leads to the actual release date of the full collection.

In the case of internationally acclaimed jazz singer Allison Adams Tucker, she puts a unique twist on the model. Instead of introducing one tune, the vibrant and lucent vocalist releases three full EPs (six songs each) from January to March in anticipation of the April 14th, 2023 release of her fourth CD, Retro Trilogy on Allegato Music.

1977, the first of the three EPs, was released in January, the second EP 1988 in March and 1999 is available now.

Each EP zeroes in on the three decades of her evolved freedom of musical expression: the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s — from Cat Stevens to Paul Simon, from Tears for Fears to Prince, from Beck to Elizabeth Fraser with Massive Attack.

From her folk-pop-punk and new wave past to her dive into jazz in 2005, Tucker says, “This album shows me stepping into music as an artist. These songs spoke to me the most.”

The full album is a three-part “old school meets the digital age” jazz collection of re-imagined covers of songs that informed Adams Tucker as she blossomed into a popular singer and bandleader.

1. The Wind
2. You’re My Best Friend
3. Life On Mars
4. Wonderland
5. Still Crazy After All These Years
6. Bamboléo
7. Woman In Chains
8. Lovesong
9. In Your Eyes
10. Sometimes It Snows In April
11. Tropicalia
12. Why
13. La Belle Dame Sans Regrets
14. Birdhouse In Your Soul
15. Teardrop

This incredible collection, a selection from the three aforementioned EP’s, opens in 1977 with the free flowing, calming melodies and rhythms within Cat Stevens’ The Wind and the 1976 Queen hit, and here delicately-hued You’re My Best Friend and they are backed by the beautiful, Portuguese-vocalized Life On Mars (David Bowie), the Latin-imbued hipsway of her own original Wonderland, and the dulcet Still Crazy After All These Years (Paul Simon).

The gently rambunctious, colorfully fun-filled, Spanish-vocalized Bamboléo (Gipsy Kings) is next up from the 1988 EP and is backed seamlessly by the ornately-crafted, pure crystalline gossamer of Woman In Chains (Tears for Fears), a quite stunning rendition of The Cure’s Lovesong, a rambunctious, yet dutifully restrained In Your Eyes (Peter Gabriel), rounding out on the quietly impassioned, and rare Prince cut, Sometimes It Snows In April.

The rousing Tropicalia (Beck) is a song that will have your hips a’shakin’, for sure, and is in turn followed by the stillness exhibited within Why (Annie Lennox), the veritably glistening Sting cut La Belle Dame Sans Regrets, this shorter 1999 EP selection, and the whole retro collection, rounding out on a quite translucent version of Birdhouse In Your Soul (They Might Be Giants), closing on the rhythmically-sculptured Teardrop (Massive Attack).

Recorded in New York and produced by Matt Pierson in 2019, RETRO Trilogy features the San Diego-based Adams Tucker assembling an A-team support band that includes Kevin Hays (piano, Rhodes and melodica) Tony Scherr (bass and guitars), Kenny Wollesen (drums and vibes), Yotam Silberstein (guitar), Peter Sprague (guitar) and Bashiri Johnson (percussion).

Hip, jazz-kissed arrangements were delivered by Hays, Silberstein, Sprague, Adams Tucker, Josh Nelson and Danny Green. Unlike her previous album, 2016’s travelogue WANDERlust on Origin Records, Adams Tucker decided to forgo horns in hopes of a more acoustic setting dominated by keyboards and guitars.

In many ways, Retro Trilogy is a healing tool for Adams Tucker, a reflection of beautiful and meaningful times. She says, “It’s retrospective, but also represents a look ahead.”

Allison Adams Tucker - Tropicalia (Official Music Video)

Official Website