McLorin Salvant first studied classical voice, but turned to jazz because it offered her more range. "In jazz, I felt I could sing these deep, husky lows," she tells Fresh Air's Terry Gross.
The 59-year-old's tenor has grown rawer, lending his inquiries into heartbreak an air of menace. He can still sing like a dream, but Isaak's gotten better at capturing nightmares, too.
The Kompakt label's series showcases the gentler, more melodic side of ambient electronic music. It may make for a lushly soothing soundtrack, but richly varied and revelatory sounds abound.
We're not talking about the jam, though Chutney does jam. It's a kind of music from Trinidad and Tobago that blends Indian folk, brought to the island nation by indentured Indians in the 19th century, with rhythms from calypso and soca. And it's players are aiming for an audience beyond the Caribbean.