Judy Wexler continues to be a storyteller above all else—and on No Wonder, she tells some of her best stories yet.
Jewel City Jazz
Judy Wexler – vocals; Jeff Colella – piano, arranger; Danny Janklow – saxophones (alto/tenor/flute); Bob Sheppard – saxophones, clarinet; Jay Jennings – trumpet; Larry Koonse – guitar (electric); Gabe Davis – bass (acoustic); Steve Hass – drums
Judy Wexler’s seventh album, No Wonder, finds the acclaimed West Coast vocalist delving into the Great American Songbook for the first time, and she does it with her signature warmth and narrative touch. Over twelve tracks, Wexler reminds us what makes her special—phrasing, dynamics, and subtle melodic shifts are her tools, and she wields them effortlessly.
Luciana Souza’s “No Wonder” opens the album, and Wexler’s conversational style immediately grabs you. Her voice flows naturally, like she’s chatting with a friend across the table, while the band—sax, trumpet, piano, and rhythm section—couldn’t provide a hipper backdrop. “The Summer Knows” follows with bass and piano setting the mood, a cool guitar line slipping in, sax tracing soft lines behind her, and muted trumpet giving just the right color. Wexler’s a smooth, controlled singer; she shapes the dynamics like the artist she is, maybe hinting at vibrato, adding more drama when the song calls for it.
Wexler’s gift for storytelling comes through on “You Stepped Out of a Dream” and “Never Will I Marry,” where her phrasing is thoughtful and precise, as she glides effortlessly between mid and upper registers. She can lean into a single word, caress it, make it stand out. On Harold Rome’s “Wish You Were Here,” a tune that doesn’t get much attention these days, she turns it into a personal conversation, helped along by a resonant guitar solo that feels right at home alongside her.
The album’s energy peaks on “Firm Roots (Are What You Need to Win),” a hard-bop inspired track where Wexler’s rapid-fire delivery rides over blazing trumpet and tight, inventive drumming, while slower, introspective ballads like “Slow Hot Wind” offer moments of reflective melancholy.
On “I Wish You Love,” she’s not afraid to play with the tempo, flirting with scatting and wordless vocals while letting her band weave around her voice in playful, intricate interplay.
Wexler also takes creative turns on the outliers: a Klezmer-infused “Dance Me to the End of Love” and delicate, flute-accented renditions of “That Sunday, That Summer” and “A Weaver of Dreams” showcase her versatility and emotional range. The album closes with a spare, intimate “The Night We Called It a Day,” just Wexler and the rhythm section, her voice resting gently against Colella’s understated piano.
With arrangements by longtime collaborator Jeff Colella and a band of first-call Los Angeles players—including Bob Sheppard, Jay Jennings, and Larry Koonse—No Wonder is both sophisticated and approachable. It’s an album that rewards patient listening, where the charm lies not in what’s flashy but in how every note, phrase, and pause serves the story. Judy Wexler continues to be a storyteller above all else—and on No Wonder, she tells some of her best stories yet.
