Hannah Gill • Spooky Jazz Vol. 3

As I write this, it’s September 2. The weather in southwest England is mostly still good, with mid-afternoon temperatures regularly approaching 25℃. But meteorologically speaking, we’re now officially in autumn so—as far as my wife is concerned—it’s spooky season. Krissy wants hygge, hot chocolate, Hallowe’en décor, and Hannah Gill, who has just graced our hi-fi with another installment in her Spooky Jazz series. And in truth, I’m here for it.

I could have sworn I critiqued last year’s Spooky Jazz Vol. 2… but I can’t find any trace now, so apparently I did not. I must have been too busy listening, dining and jigging about to the record—I played it a lot—to review it. (Fortunately, Joe Bebco cast a critical ear over both previous releases in 2024.) Like those discs, Vol. 3 features a fantastic set of swing and blues tunes, both classic and original, with more or less creepy themes. You’ve got titles like the vaguely nocturnal “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” (sadly not the jazz cover of Green Day that I got excited for), the implied witchiness of “Moon Ray” and the positively paranormal “My Friend the Ghost,” for instance.

This isn’t your typical costume party soundtrack—you’ll find no “Monster Mash” here. Instead you’ve got hidden gems like Betty Hutton’s “He’s a Demon, He’s a Devil, He’s a Doll” and Dinah Washington’s bluesy “Richest Guy in the Graveyard.” Gill original “Spider in the Web” is a minor-key rock ‘n’ roll-ish number featuring reverb-heavy surf guitar and film-noir brass. And “Wolves in the Tree Line” is an organ-soaked blues with gothic lyrics worthy of Poe, proving the breadths of Gill’s talents as both a singer and a composer.

But don’t go thinking this is some one-session, smash-and-grab, seasonal cash-in: there’s nothing rushed or amateurish about this timely record release. Gill has assembled an all-star cast of musicians for the polished production including Gordon Webster on piano, Ricky Alexander on reeds, and Danny Jonokuchi on trumpet. Completing the octet are Philip Ambuel on bass, Justin Poindexter on guitar, Gabe Terracciano on violin, Ben Zweig on drums, and Sasha Papernik on accordion.

The arrangements are playful, the record opening with Hannah performing an Orson Welles-esque voiceover reminiscent of the campy horror movies of the mid-twentieth century. There are snippets of Bach’s “Toccata and Fugue in D Minor” (DA-DA DAAA!) and Chopin’s “Funeral March” (Dum, dum-da-dum…) sprinkled throughout. But it’s not all novelty: “Wolves in the Tree Line” sees both Poindexter and Terracciano absolutely shred. “I’m Gonna Haunt Ya”—Ray Noble’s mid-tempo swinger with close harmony vocals—is another highlight, transformed by arranger Jonokuchi into a blistering tour de force of spectacular solo performances and accompanied by a choir of multi-tracked Gills.

Speaking of which, Gill’s vocals are as always a joy to listen to. She’s the paprika of jazz singers, coming in sweet, smoky, or spicy. I’m going to lazily quote myself reviewing her album Everybody Loves a Lover here, as I can’t think of a better way to say it: “If you haven’t yet heard Gill’s voice then you really ought to.” Two world tours with PMJ and several viral hits would seem to support my opinion that is quite simply the hottest young ticket in vocal jazz right now.

There’s simply nothing to fault about this record, from the musicianship showcased to the polished production. I’ve already put the vinyls of Gill’s entire back catalog on my Christmas list. Check out her records on Bandcamp, where Spooky Jazz Vol. 3 is available to buy in digital and physical formats right now.

Spooky Jazz Vol. 3
Hannah Gill
hannahgillmusic.bandcamp.com