Yoga Kendra Publications

Kendra Shank opens Mosaic with a gem that many post-bop vocalists wouldn't consider including in their repertoire: Carole King's early-'70s ballad "So Far Away," which Shank performs in a straightforward fashion. Shank's heartfelt performance packs a strong punch emotionally, although it doesn't have quite the improvisatory appeal that her performances are usually known for having. But after that opener, Shank's improvisatory skills assert themselves in a major way - and she is delightfully uninhibited on impressionistic versions of songs ranging from Bill Evans' "Time Remembered" and Cedar Walton's "Life's Mosaic" to Irving Berlin's Tin Pan Alley standard "Blue Skies" (which is part of a medley that also includes Shank's own "Reflections in Blue")…