Kate Wadey
Release 28 July
4.5 stars
Reviewed by Barry O’Sullivan
It has taken Kate Wadey three years to craft this recording from its initial beginnings as the first 2MBS Fine Music Sydney’s Ken Weatherly Scholar in 2019. Wadey is songwriter and vocalist on an album of delightful original compositions. These incorporate jazz piano-driven solos and creative collaborations with saxophonists Chris O’Dear and Justin Fermino, guitarists Ben Panucci, Arthur Washington and Peter Koopman, pianists Matt McMahon, Harry Sutherland and Andrew Scott, plus a slight hint of Antonín Dvořák on the title track. From the first track, If Only, the album’s tone is set to capture the affinity between the instrumentalist’s music and Wadey’s voice. There is some genuine musical magic evident throughout, especially on the tracks, One More Chance, Expecting Song, and Forever Like This, which best showcase Wadey’s exceptional personal sound and torch song vocal approach. It is an album brimming with sublime vocals from Wadey, fine soloists, and some excellent arrangements from Andrew Scott and Sam Dobson (who also plays bass on the album). It is also released as a vinyl edition, available from Wadey’s website www.katewadey.com