I didn’t know I was in love with you until you were gone
During the pandemic singer-saxophonist Curtis Stigers had a live stream weekly show called Songs From My Kitchen to which this tips the hat to
It’s country. Stigers is one of the most popular touring US jazz influenced acts to regularly visit the UK and Ireland.
A star in the 1990s with hits like ‘You’re All That Matters To Me,’ ‘Never Saw A Miracle’ and ‘I Wonder Why’ his take on Nick Lowe classic ‘(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace Love and Understanding’ was on the huge selling soundtrack of the Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner starring film The Bodyguard.
Stigers changed tack later with a homage to jazz pianist Gene Harris and has been seen as a crossover jazz artist since playing mainly to non jazz audiences although sometimes appearing in jazz venues like Ronnie Scott’s where he is one of the most popular annual draws.
During the Pandemic he was at home in Idaho with his wife and dogs.
This is his 14th studio album. ”I’d drive a short mile down State Street to a little home studio my friend Don Cunningham built into his garage, and I’d record that song live multiple times, with just my acoustic guitar and my voice, until I had a version I could live with. I did that for a couple of weeks until I had enough songs to make up an album and then I brought in a handful of local musician friends of mine – Bernie Reilly on acoustic bass first, then Shaky Dave Manion on electric guitar, percussion by Casey Miller, and some electric piano by Professor Andrew Cortens. After that, I sent a few of the tracks to the singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jens Kuross to add some of his unique sonic touches. Whatever each track needed. Some ended up virtually solo acoustic and others sound like a full band.”
What’s here includes John Fullbright song ’Until You Were Gone’ written by one of Stigers’ favourite singer/songwriters. Stigers covered his song ‘She Knows’ on Gentleman issued five years ago
‘I Have Everything’ is his own as is ‘Burn It down’ the latter written with his brother Jake. It’s about a trip to a jail in Idaho.
‘Don’t Look At Me That Way’ is a co-write with the great Belfast singer Brian Kennedy whom Stigers met when Bill Clinton came to switch on the Christmas lights in Belfast in 1995 and helped usher in the Peace Process. It’s one of the best songs here. Curtis was on Van Morrison’s best album in years (eg since Magic Time, 2005 which has the classic ‘Celtic New Year’ on it) – New Arrangements and Duets: 2024 – duetting on ‘Close Enough for Jazz’ with Van whose album Days Like This Brian Kennedy dazzled on in the 1990s. Kennedy and Van sang ‘No Religion’ that night for Clinton.
‘Old Fashioned’ is by California-born, Idaho-based singer/songwriter Bill Coffey.
‘Good To Know You’ is about meeting his biological father for the first time when he was 44. It’s Don Williams like in feel, Stigers’ country side is a bit in that vein although his voice is no way as deep.
The album also includes Patty Griffin’s ‘Goodbye’ which he has been singing for years and years. He now sees it as a tribute to his mother who died in 2023.
‘The Song’ was inspired by Anthony Doerr’s novel Cloud Cuckoo Land.
The Christmas song, yep there’s one here, was written to sing at a fundraiser for the homeless.
- Curtis Stigers plays Rainham on 1 May then the Cheltenham Jazz Festival on 3 May; Stoller Hall in Manchester on 4 May; plus further UK dates including Bury St Edmunds, Leeds, New Brighton, Gateshead, Glasgow, Wavendon, Eastleigh, Frome, Worthing, St Albans. See his website for full details
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