Familiar songs, warmer colours
My Favorite Things has an instant, undeniable ease. The 11-track album from Reggie Pryor and Jeremy Monteiro doesn’t demand that you sit still and study every note. It simply fills the room with warm, polished jazz and makes staying for the full 46 minutes feel like an easy decision. The album moves through classics such as “Smile,” “Moon River,” “I Wish You Love,” and “Pure Imagination.”
These are songs that have already lived several musical lives, so another technically perfect rendition wouldn’t be enough. Pryor and Monteiro understand that. Their versions remain faithful to the melodies while finding small ways to make them feel personal.
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Pryor’s baritone sits comfortably at the centre. His voice is rich and smooth, but what works best is how little he forces it. On “I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face,” he sings with a conversational quality, allowing the words to land without turning every line into a dramatic moment. “Moon River” fits him just as naturally. His lower register gives the song warmth, while the music around him stays light.
Jeremy Monteiro’s piano is a constant pleasure. Sometimes it follows the vocal closely. Elsewhere, it slips forward with a brighter phrase or a short melodic turn of its own. The bass and percussion keep the album moving, and the strings add fullness without swallowing the intimacy of the songs.
A samba surprise at its centre
The title track is the album’s most obvious reinvention. “My Favorite Things” leaves behind much of its familiar musical-theatre gait and returns as a lively samba. The percussion gives it real bounce. Monteiro’s piano sounds playful, and Pryor handles the quicker movement without losing his relaxed tone.
It’s the point where the album loosens its collar.
That sense of lightness carries into “It’s Not Easy Bein’ Green” and “Rainbow Connection.” Both are sweet songs. Very sweet, actually. But Pryor sings them without winking at the material or making them very sentimental. The jazz setting brings out their melodic strength, while the performances retain a little of their original innocence.
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Pleasant, and genuinely so
Grammy-winning vocalist Carmen Bradford appears on “How Do You Keep the Music Playing?” Her voice brings another texture to the album, and the duet works because it feels like a conversation. Neither vocalist seems interested in overpowering the other.
“Pure Imagination” closes the record on an appropriately dreamy note. By then, the album’s appeal is quite clear. This isn’t a radical reworking of the jazz canon. It’s a collection made by musicians who genuinely enjoy these songs and know how to handle them.
My Favorite Things is elegant and very easy to return to. Pleasant can sometimes sound like faint praise. Here, it isn’t. Making music feel this effortless takes considerable care. Follow the artist here and listen to the song here:
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