(re) Generet-ion

Some jazz fans may feel a bit cheated that as soulful and powerful a vocalist as Gregory Generet is, he limits his magic to eight tracks and about 40 minutes — but in that time, the popular N.Y.C.-based singer ventures to enough exotic locales (both geographically and emotionally) to fulfill (or at least whet the whistle of) anyone's musical wanderlust. The singer, formerly a three-time Emmy Award-winning post-production editor, saves perhaps his most exotic excursion for last with Duke Ellington's oft-covered "Caravan." It is presented here with hypnotic percussion, soaring female vocal chants, and an emotional, haunting invitation into the "memory of our Caravan" that transports the listener on a journey across North Africa. Spiced with Roger Byam's whimsical tenor solo, it's the exclamation point ("final destination" seems premature for a singer this inventive) on a trip that also includes a charming, acoustic guitar-driven samba romp through the Randy Crawford trademark "Rio de Janeiro Blue," and the simply arranged, beautifully balmy "Once You've Been in Love" — a Michel Legrand composition whose lyrics by Alan & Marilyn Bergman are given tender mercies anew by the singer's resigned, haunted tones. The eclectic set list also includes the seductive allure of "Stolen Moments," a classy trio arrangement of Van Morrison's "Moondance" (starting with an a cappella intro which reminds us of the tune's sheer poetry), and a hushed, moody reflection of "I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face." Behind the scenes, Generet should be commended for opting to record songs he hadn't yet mastered in a live setting. As you listen to his simple charming voice, joy and heartbreak abound and you time travel back to an era when, as the quirky liner notes say, "jazz was more than a noun, but an adjective and action verb." Hopefully on future excursions he will "generate" a lengthier set that doesn't leave us so frustrated wishing for more. Nonetheless, this is a truly exquisite debut from an explosively subtle new voice on the jazz scene.