A distinctly nostalgic and old-school feel pervades all over Ellen Warkentine’s Sinatra-esque jazz pop record ‘Now At Last’. It feels like a capsule in time, a lost memory that Warkentine is bringing to life with her own fresh spin. A unique confluence of old-school jazz with folk undertones and sprightly energy. Warkentine has a throwback feeling on lock, embracing the old school style with bravado and pomp. Several notable musicians star throughout the album. Free jazz musicians Joe Cunningham and Isaiah Morfin contribute saxophones, while Brian Walsh provides a warmness via his clarinet work. Bassist Anthony Shadduck, alongside percussionists Danny Frankel and Garrit Tillman, add wonderfully to the rhythm section. Bringing together all these different skills in her own dreamy and sparkly tunes, Now At Last becomes a pleasure to listen to from back to front.
The tracks throughout this record delve into heartbreak and loss but also recovery and self love. They give you perspective, tracking your own journey through the lens of Warkentine. Falling back into love, rediscovering passion, and loving the joys of life all around all seem to be exuded on Now At Last. There’s something distinctively wonderful about that Sinatra style that never seems to disappoint me. It continually has you feeling inspired about the concept of life as something wonderful and to cherish. There’s rarely a negative emotion or feeling that I find while listening to this style of jazz, as it innately inspires me to find the wonderful in everything all around me.
Warkentine is an artist who definitely knows how to bring style to her work. Each track feels like her own, an energy that seems wildly different and intriguing in an otherwise similar space. You feel like you’re in a different time, a glossy era, and all the while finding something more to live for.