First Flight (released on JSL Records) is the exciting debut album from Garden Winds, the new trio led by veteran jazz vocalist Judi Silvano alongside flutist Haruna Fukazawa and bassoonist Claire de Brunner. Spanning ten original compositions and just over 33 minutes, the record strips away chords and rhythm section entirely, favoring spontaneousu counterpoint, microtonal inflections, and pure textural interplay between voice, flute, and bassoon. Early reviews have praised it as playful, adventurous, and frequently beautiful, with critics singling out Fukazawa’s lithe, daring flute work and de Brunner’s soulful bassoon playing. It’s a bold, unconventional opening statement for the group.

Across its ten tracks, First Flight reveals a spectacular use of the voice as a true instrument. Silvano’s vocalese weaves through the record not as melody over accompaniment, but as a full equal to the flute and bassoon, leading the listener through surprising territory that always rewards its own unpredictability. “Gathering” makes the art of vocalese sound like a lot of fun — there’s real joy audible in the exploration. “Flock of Three” demands attention through its unexpected choices, never settling into the predictable. “Stravinsky” feels like a run of small breakthroughs, phrase after phrase, yet stays buoyant throughout. “Flower Talk” showcases the three musicians — voice, bassoon, and flute — responding to one another in genuine conversation. “Passing Through” isn’t lightweight, but it works as a kind of musical palate cleanser for what’s still to come. “This Morning,” driven by Fukazawa’s flute, conjures the impression of nature waking up. “On the Deck” introduces percussion — played by Silvano herself — in a way the rest of the album doesn’t, and it feels like the Garden Winds made audible: the atmosphere of wind moving through a garden. “Beaver Brook” carries a sense of organic, spirited, lighthearted activity, bubbling along like its namesake. The closer, “Coming Together,” feels almost ritualistic, like the close of day — a fitting end to an album built on conversation and discovery.

First Flight is a soundscape of incredible imagination, built from the rare and intimate combination of voice, flute, and bassoon. Judi Silvano, Haruna Fukazawa, and Claire de Brunner clearly listen to one another as closely as they play, and the result rewards the listener in kind: the more you return to it, the more you hear. Like rereading a good book, First Flight gives up more of itself with each later listen.