A young woman with a wealth of talent, Gracie Terzian is not only a jazz singer but also an actress, ukuleleist, and songwriter. In between acting at Ford's Theatre, Shakespeare Theatre, and The Kennedy Center, Terzian found time to record this first EP. Along with a band using pianos, guitars, and drums, Terzian's voice and her harp ukulele (the album’s highlights) are at center stage all the time on this debut release.
The EP leads off with the title track “Saints And Poets,” which plants a firm, laidback lounge feel into the listen; Terzian's smooth and elegant vocals sound experienced well beyond her years. With the intricate guitars providing interesting moments between her singing, it's a strategically placed opener. “Love Rest” follows and highlights Terzian's harp ukulele skills, and “Sleepwalker” finds a subtle groove you could dance to, unfolding with a calm, hypnotic approach – which is great considering that it's the longest track here.
The second half the EP is equally sophisticated and alluring, with the soft guitars and pianos of “Wait Silently” and the playful spirit of the late night anthem for mulling over relationships, “Iris.” The listen ends on the shortest song of the bunch, “Exit Strategy,” which sounds much like a more lush extension of the previous songs and explores the ongoing theme of love from a soulful, graceful angle.
It's important to note that Terzian wrote and performed on all six songs here. While many of her peers are seeing success with mediocre covers and a long line of co-writers, the talent here is all rooted in this young woman's thoughtful spirit and developed songwriting prowess. Not at all surprisingly, Saints And Poets ended up hitting #3 on the Billboard Jazz Album chart immediately after its release and for good reason. If artists like Norah Jones and Jolie Holland mean anything to you, so should Gracie Terzian.