This came out in 2003 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
WHO SHE IS: The veteran Canadian chanteuse whose smoky voice, sultry style and eclectic musical tastes have secured her a permanent place of honour at the forefront of the nation’s jazz-pop scene.
WHAT THIS IS: Shade, her dozenth release — give or take a few holiday albums — is another loose concept affair along the lines of 1995’s Tom Waits tribute Temptation or 2000’s love-song set Romantically Helpless. This year’s themes: Temperature, light and shadow. Backed by her confidently swinging, endlessly groovy combo, Cole brings her light, cool touch to a set dominated by smart ’n’ sophisticated reinterpretations of weather and sun-themed standards like Irving Berlin’s Heatwave, Cole Porter’s Too Darn Hot and Bill Barnes’ Something Cool. A gorgeously downtempo version of Brian Wilson’s God Only Knows adds a touch of contemporary flavour to the proceedings.
