It begins with a gentle rustle, speedily developing into an erupting rumble before instantly exploding to life, the first rays of light breaking through with warmth, brightness and fresh spirit. I am speaking of the centrepiece to this album and also the title track, ‘I Like The Sunrise.’ The song encapsulates everything this new jazz release should come to represent, the hope of the new, the joy of a beginning, the dawn of a fresh endeavour and all the anticipation, apprehension and boundless possibilities that comes to represent. And it tells us exactly what kind of artist we are listening to in Hannah Gill. A classicist in style and a forward-looking conventionalist of application, she puts faith in the tried and tested pillars of talent, emotive expression and a classy musical ear. But neither is she a throwback, something about the playing and the intent of her delivery makes this as contemporary an album as you could wish to hear. You can believe in any music type, regardless of an older era it may recall, if it is played with the right attitude; Hannah with her band sound like they were only after one thing, to play these songs the way they felt them. It is why they saw, to give just one example, no need to add to the simplicity of a track like ‘Azure,’ why over embellish when a simple wistful whistle can say so much? Even when tackling a tune that flies like a standard, such as ‘So Far So Good,’ they swing so hard they could blow fallen leaves off the pavement. A prime factor in these positive reactions is the song selections, this record is built around the kind of tracks that thrive on being played, little wonder some of the guitar and sax solos are tackled with such relish. Also, this is a selection of hot cuts that bring one specific legendary name to the table, that of Duke Ellington.

However, this is no mere tribute album, more like the work of a performer who has connected with another artists material in a way that speaks to her soul. It is the creation of someone whose connection with the compositions is so deep she is making them her own. This is after all, the way that all interpretive work should operate, if it is not moving on and evolving, injecting something of the personal into the performance, if it is merely looking to present a photocopy of something that went before, then it is highly unlikely to have much merit. But here the twenty-nine-year-old US singer Hannah Gill has dug deep into the music of the jazz great Duke Ellington, both with songs that he composed and also material he left an indelible impression on, in a way that instantly marks out her own territory with conviction and passion. And best of all, she is doing something different with it. Yes, the overall tone and style of this album is that of a smoky late-night jazz and blues club, there is a laid back, louche swing to the atmosphere, a re-appearing saxophone that blows pencil sharp shapes in the air and drums that cannot help but brush those symbols with a birth of cool nonchalance. But then you remember, the Duke was a pianist, the instrument was central to much of his recorded output. But here there is not a piano, let alone an orchestra, anywhere to be seen (or heard). The lead instrument is actually a sexy electric guitar, caressing its way around, behind, under and over the seductive and commanding vocal licks delivered by Hannah.

Ever since the earliest days of her musical education, Hannah was drawn to the New York live scene. At the age of eighteen she found that this was the place to feed into her love of jazz, soul and blues, she could dance and swing with abandon all the while beginning to connect with performing musicians who could help open doors to becoming a singer and artist herself. You can hear those foundations bursting through on this album, it is all too obvious that Hannah is confident in her role as interpreter and all those years bathing in the sounds of roots forms has nurtured a keen ear for the finest sounding audio. And on that, you can detect the craft and vitality of an analogue recording loud and clear, an element touted brashly so often by others rarely making the kind of impact its champions try to imply, potently coming into its own. The decisions made in the recording studio emphasise an end desire that has been spectacularly realised; there was no heavy reliance on written charts or overdubs, instead the band laid down these tracks in real time and sought to capture the magic that occurs when great musicians feed off each other and get into the zone. So, what we have is an album that honours some old-fashioned values all the while digging into material that is somewhere between seventy to eighty years old. And yet, such is the honesty of intent, the tangible human investment in these songs, that I can credibly state ‘I Like The Sunrise’ belongs firmly in the modern-day pantheon of album releases. On top of that, it might just be one of the finest jazz albums you will come across in 2026.

Danny Neill

Find a just released physical copy of the album via this link: https://hannahgillmusic.bandcamp.com/