It’s a cliche to talk about ‘the difficult second album’. But sometimes that second album is an absolute triumph.

And that’s certainly the case with Moonray, the new release from the talented British jazz vocalist, James Hudson, which is out this week (15 March).

It’s an intriguing collection of songs, from the title track to the upbeat Sunny, from the simple romance of The Nearness of You to the power and inspiration of On a Clear Day, and not forgetting the first single from the album, Feed the Birds (yes, from Mary Poppins!).

They are beautifully sung by James – what a voice! – and performed by a substantial 13-piece band including rhythm section, horns, strings, and vibraphone.

The addition of the string section to this album makes a huge difference – creating a full, rich backdrop to James’s super-smooth vocals.

But I’m going to single out saxophonist Tom Smith for a special Piece of Pink Pie shout-out because I love a sax solo, and his are outstanding. Plus he was the arranger and plays bass clarinet too!

James, who was also producer on the album, explained that his vision was to “combine the sounds of the George Shearing Quintet with the style of the Marty Paich Dek-tette / Mel Torme albums, to create my own unique line-up with a contemporary flavour.”

It’s a fabulous album, which will surely propel James’s career even further. Feed the Birds has already gained a lot of airplay on UK radio, and the full album seems certain to be a hit.

James’s debut album Tomorrow featured new arrangements of classics from The Great American Songbook and was critically acclaimed, including being named ‘Album of the Week’ on Jazz FM’s Dinner Jazz.

With Moonray, James takes a further big step forward – it’s an album that shows the growing confidence of a rare talent, one of a few British singers of his generation producing this much-loved and timeless style of jazz.

The album is released this week (15 March 2024), followed by a launch show at Pizza Express Jazz Club in Soho on Monday 3 June and a homecoming show at the Truck Theatre in Hull on Friday 14 June.

There’s much more about James on his website.

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