Joe Locke with Kenny Washington, For the Love of You

There’s a world of a difference between being a masterful instrumental accompanist and collaborating with a singer. Beyond the prerequisite set of ears and in-the-moment intuition, a deeper appreciation of the meaning of the lyrics—in order to truly find a song’s core—becomes even more essential than in instrumental readings. Vibraphonist Joe Locke has, more than most, a profound ability to get to the heart of a song—in particular, songs beyond the typical jazz purview—whether it’s in an instrumental setting or with a vocalist. Just as he did with previous albums like the aptly titled Storytelling (Sirocco, 2001), Locke’s For the Love of You combines material from the Great American Songbook with more contemporary fare—this time by The Isley Brothers and Neil Young—as well as Ennio Morricone’s often-covered theme to Giusseppe Tornatore’s modern film classic, Cinema Paradiso (1988). Also featuring three Locke originals, For the Love of You brings together an ace quartet of friends old and new, as well as singer Kenny Washington on eight of its 10 tracks. While his broad vocal range and jazz background make Washington an ideal vocal mate for Locke’s richly harmonized arrangements, he’s also a singer who thankfully avoids unnecessary vocal gymnastics. Instead, with a voice that loosely resembles Stevie Wonder but with greater restraint, Washington breathes new life into the lyrics to Mandel’s and Webster’s enduring “The Shadow of Your Smile”—a song that could be considered past its prime but which, with Locke’s unexpectedly up-tempo and sophisticated yet eminently accessible arrangement, becomes exhilaratingly modern. It takes a lot of courage to open a set with a ballad, but that’s just what Locke does, with an elegant, smoky version of Mancini’s and Bricusse’s classic, “Two for the Road.” It not only highlights Washington’s soulful delivery, but also the empathic relationship between the vibraphonist and pianist Geoffrey Keezer, with whom Locke goes back many years—from the recently reformed Storms/Nocturnes Trio, with...