Ayo Awosika

While vocalist Ayo Awosika might have steeped herself in the music of jazz singers Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday and Carmen McRae, she delves into more of a soul/folk amalgam on her new EP. As the title suggests, the disc is filled with songs coming from the singer’s heart, especially on “As Far As I’ll Go” and “Last to Love You.” The 24-year-old Awosika, who was classically trained, clearly has a strong vocal command, and a vibrant, pure clarity comes through on each of the six cuts. Awosika’s vocals pop even more with the sparse instrumentation of guitar (and sometimes slide guitar), piano, bass and drums, which leaves a lot of room for her vocals to breathe.