La Tanya Hall’s ‘If Not Now, When… ‘ (out on October 10) is more than just a return; it’s a reclamation. After losing her voice during the COVID-19 pandemic, Hall has emerged with a project that feels at once intimate, courageous, and artistically liberated. Produced by fellow Steely Dan bandmate Michael Leonhart and featuring a stellar ensemble that includes Gary Bartz, Eddie Henderson, Cyrus Chestnut, Gregoire Maret, Gerald Cannon, Marvin Sewell, and Mark McLean, the eight-track set, selected by Hall with producer Leonhart, delves into overlooked songs that carry both lyrical weight and emotional nuance.

The opening, Horace Silver’s “Pretty Eyes,” immediately sets the tone: contemplative, harmonically rich, and sung with a vulnerability that feels lived-in. The interplay between Bartz and Henderson underscores Hall’s narrative phrasing, reminding listeners of the jazz tradition’s conversational essence. From there, the album expands outward. Her take on Randy Newman’s “Let’s Burn Down the Cornfield” (popularized by Etta James) distills its sinister edge into something more hauntingly fragile, while Abbey Lincoln’s “A Turtle’s Dream” and “Tender as a Rose” highlight Hall’s affinity for material rooted in wisdom and resilience.

Hall is equally effective when reaching into different traditions. She breathes reverence into Bernice Petkere’s “Lullabye of the Leaves,” summons joy and gratitude through Oscar Brown Jr.’s “Long As You’re Living,” and reframes Duke Ellington’s “Azure” with elegant restraint. The album’s closing moment, an acoustic reading of Aretha Franklin’s “Day Dreaming” with Sewell and Maret, feels like an exhale—quiet, tender, and resolute.

What makes If Not Now, When… stand out is Hall’s unflinching commitment to storytelling. Every track feels carefully chosen, not for novelty’s sake but for the truth it carries. This isn’t a comeback record so much as a testament: a statement that music, at its best, is a vehicle for survival, memory, and renewal. While it was hard to imagine Hall eclipsing her delightful 2019 release, ‘Say Yes’, ‘If Not Now, When…’ shows that the songstress is back and has something compelling to say. 

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