It is with a profound sense of relief that this particular Grinch is happy to report that the music review you're reading is NOT about a holiday album. Not that there's anything wrong with holiday music - I'm not that much of a Grinch - but I've reviewed several recently, and it's always nice to find something new, in this case Stacey Kent's latest album, Breakfast On The Morning Tram.

Folks, Stacey Kent is the real thing. Immensely talented, loved by her fans and respected by pros, her distinctive voice and style have set her apart from the crowded ranks of female vocalists. For the past decade or so, she's been one of the best around and her many awards and chart appearances are all well-deserved.

I'll confess that I arrived a little late to Stacey's party. I first stumbled onto her a few years back when I happened to catch her version of Mancini's "Dreamsville," from her album of the same name. I thought at first that it was just a very nice instrumental version of one of my favorite tunes, because the first two minutes are just that. But then a unique, intoxicating voice took over and I was an instant fan.

Stacey has consistently hit the Billboard charts with albums that were mostly filled with her tasty interpretations of jazz standards, but for her first release on the Blue Note label she decided to try something a little different. (Although she included a few standards too, but more later about that.)

Teaming up with her usual collaborator - her husband, talented saxman Jim Tomlinson - and some new musicians, including talented guitarist John Parricelli, Stacey also took an unusual additional step. She convinced award-winning novelist Kazuo Ishiguro to try his hand at writing lyrics for some of Jim's compositions. (Ishiguro is a friend, and had previously written some album notes for Stacey.)