I Know I Dream: The Orchestral Sessions

I Know I Dream: The Orchestral Sessions represents a significant milestone in Stacey Kent's career, marking her first full-scale orchestral project. Recorded with a 58-piece orchestra at Angel Studios in London, the album features arrangements by Tommy Laurence and Cliff Goldmacher that elevate Kent's bossa-inflected vocal jazz into the realm of chamber pop and traditional pop. The repertoire is a curated mix of Great American Songbook standards, French chansons, Brazilian classics, and original compositions co-written by her husband, saxophonist Jim Tomlinson, and the Nobel Prize-winning novelist Kazuo Ishiguro. This collaboration with Ishiguro is a hallmark of Kent's later work, bringing a literary, narrative depth to the lyrics. The album received widespread critical acclaim for its impeccable production and Kent's ability to maintain her trademark intimacy despite the massive scale of the accompaniment. It stands as a definitive statement of her artistry, blending her American roots with her deep affinity for European and South American musical traditions.