Lauren Kinhan with the Martin Bejerano Trio

($15-$25 tickets | 7pm & 9pm sets) Lauren Kinhan possesses a rare and beautiful instrument, tough and tender, clear and fine-grained in every register, she dips down into husky chest notes and ascends into silvery head tones. Whether on her own highly-acclaimed solo albums, 29-year member of the internationally acclaimed vocal group New York Voices, or as co-founder of two diverse and inventive supergroups, Moss and JaLaLa, the singer and composer has always forged her own path as a performer, composer and improviser.

Lauren Kinhan (vocals) Martin Bejerano (piano) Colin McIlrath (bass) Arthur Vint (drums)

With her latest album on her Dotted i Records, A Sleepin’ Bee, Kinhan once again steers herself in unexpected directions that is at once the first all-standards collection of her career, a loving tribute to legendary vocalist Nancy Wilson, and unmistakably a Lauren Kinhan album – with all the unique perspective and idiosyncratic personality that has come to imply. In particularly Wilson’s collaborations with Cannonball Adderley and George Shearing proved the jumping-off point for Kinhan, who utterly transforms these classic and obscure numbers with the help of pianist/creative partner Andy Ezrin and veteran producer Elliot Scheiner as well as a stellar band featuring bassist Matt Penman, drummer Jared Schonig and special guest trumpeter Ingrid Jensen. “Every single song in this collection hits a sweet spot of a different sort, but the most pleasing aspect of the recording is how it uncovers the stripped-down, soulful side of Kinhan’s voice,” All About Jazz. And Downbeat crowned the recording with 4 1/2 stars, a near perfect rating from their discerning ears.