For those unaware, Jamie Davis, the Grammy Award-winning baritone and former lead vocalist of the Count Basie Orchestra, returns with Steppin’ Out (out via WomanI Jazz), a journey through classic jazz, timeless standards, and modern swing.

The album’s lead single, “Fragile,” is currently in consideration for the 2027 Grammy Awards in the Best Jazz Performance category.

Davis surrounds himself with serious firepower on this record: vocalist Carmen Bradford, trombonist Wycliffe Gordon, pianist Shelly Berg, organist Ronnie Foster, guitarist Grant Geissman, and trumpeter Scotty Barnhart, who currently leads the Count Basie Orchestra.

Across the record, Davis moves through unforgettable ballads, soulful blues, and swinging bossa nova, channeling the tradition of iconic predecessors like Arthur Prysock and Joe Williams while making every track unmistakably his own.

1. Estate’
2. Teach Me Tonight
3. Pure Imagination
4. You’ve Changed
5. Bad Luck
6. Windmills of Your Mind
7. Well, You Needn’t
8. Fragile
9. Señor Blues
10. Here’s to Life
11. Dat Dere
12. Sophisticated Lady

Belonging to that rare and distinguished tradition of vocal jazz artists whose voices do more than interpret a song, they inhabit it, Jamie opens his new recording on the luxuriant gloss of Estate’ and the simply splendorous Teach Me Tonight and then we get the gentle roustabout of the Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse standard Pure Imagination, the resplendent You’ve Changed and then comes the blues-hued brilliance of Dinah Washington’s Bad Luck and the pure silky gossamer of the Michel Legrand standard Windmills of Your Mind.

Along next are the gentle finger-snapping, toe-tapping delights of the Thelonious Monk classic Well, You Needn’t which is in turn backed by the sumptuous Sting classic Fragile, the strident flare of Señor Blues, a calming piano piece rendition of the Phyllis Molinary and Artie Butler standard Here’s to Life, the set rounding out on the emotively all-embracing Dat Dere, coming to a close on the lushly ambient Duke Ellington classic Sophisticated Lady.

Official Purchase Link

www.jamiedavis.com