There is a big difference between soft and ambient music, although they both share an emphasis on being quiet. Soft sounds are meant to be heard, while ambient ones are meant to cover up existing noise with a more pleasing background. Too often, soft sounds are played at low volumes and used as ambient in a way analogous to using a room deodorizer as an odor eliminator. This is a disservice to those artists who create wonderful, peaceful inventions whose serenity is part of the charm.
Donna Panton’s latest opus, Soft Winds and Roses, is a halcyon classic. It exudes tranquility while simultaneously stimulating thoughts of love and passion. The fact that the Canadian jazz vocalist does this through a repertoire of overly familiar classics from the somewhat recent past reveals how talented she is. Do we really need another version of songs made famous by the Beatles, Joni Mitchell, and Elton John? One would think not. But Panton reinvigorates them by paradoxically slowing them down and de-emphasizing their emotional weight. It’s love as comfort food.
Diana Panton produced the album and employs only two instrumentalists to aid her vocals: guitarist Reg Schwager and Don Thompson on piano, vibes, and bass. The musicians keep the tempo moving forward and prove that being quiet doesn’t mean one plays slow. There are pleasurable runs and riffs introducing, during, and after the singing.
It requires nerve for a singer to cover well-known masterpieces such as Burt Bacharach/Hal David’s (as performed by the Carpenters) “They Long to Be Close to You”, the Bee Gee‘s “How Deep Is Your Love”, and Buffy Sainte-Marie‘s “Until It’s Time for You to Go”. These tunes have become cliches because they have been overplayed on the radio and performed by a myriad of artists. Making these songs seem fresh again is challenging, but Panton magically infuses them with a breezy energy. There is something “nice ‘n’ easy” about them, as Frank Sinatra would say. The singer captures the emotional core of the material through her salubrious phrasing. They come off as pleasant and wholesome rather than musty oldies,
The same is true for the other familiar songs (the Beatles’ “Here, There and Everywhere”, Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides Now”, and Elton John’s “Your Song”). Diana Panton’s jazz interpretations have a light touch. They sway and swing without ever seeming heavy. This is valid in her renditions of the Brazilian-sourced tunes (“Sweet Happy Life”, “You and I”).
The lesser-known songs share the same easy-going intimacy. Panton’s take on Randy Newman‘s “Snow”, Fred Hersch and Norma Winstone’s “A Wish (Valentine)”, and Ron Sexsmith‘s “Secret Heart” reveals the serious impulses behind their simple lyricism. She conveys her vulnerability by pretending not to care. Her voice is coy, with a hint of joy and pain at the thought of love and the uncertainty it brings.
The record’s title comes from fellow Canadian Gordon Lightfoot’s lovely composition “Pussy Willows, Cat-Tails”. The song drips with thoughts of future happiness and reflections of past tenderness. The present situation is not so clear. Spring is a promise, not a reality. This is the eternal cycle of life. Schwager’s acoustic guitar playing suggests the hope inherent in changing seasons. Thompson’s gentle piano accompaniment expresses the delicacy of human relationships. Diana Panton’s voice suggests the present tenuousness is part of love’s charm. That’s vital to its truth and beauty (“soft winds and roses”). Living with the hope of love offers its own rewards.