The BLCK Madonna is the stage name for jazz singer Ana Hoffman whose new album, Between the Lines, is an inviting and hypnotically musical reimagining of seven jazz standards through her bright, thoughtful, distinct, and masterful vocals and the outstanding support of her band which is subtle, strong, soaring, and intriguing throughout. The group includes pianist Sam Towse, bassist Rafael Enciso, drummer Miguel Russell, and saxophonist Santosh Sharma with Towse, Enciso, and Sharma serving as arrangers. This is a true collaboration between the vocalist and her musicians that creates magic at every turn.
Opening with “Afro Blue” (Mongo Santamaria, Oscar Brown, Jr.) is a daring choice as an introduction but the singer nails it from the start. The direct, conversational phrasing gives the poetic lyrics a clarity I have rarely heard before and the complex rhythmic structure seems second nature to her. Her haunting “Round Midnight” (Bernie Hanighen, Thelonius Monk, Cootie Williams) is a mix of sinewy strength and wary hesitation, and its understatement highlights the emotions she hypnotically reveals. Towse’s piano, and Sharma’s sax are especially noteworthy and the vocal building to an explosion of emotion, echoed by Sharma’s sax, is quite moving.
She sings the classic “Body and Soul” (Johnny Green, Edward Heyman, Robert Sour, Frank Eyton) with such direct, open emotion that it removes the possibility of a maudlin turn which plagues a lot of singers on this warhorse. Towse’s piano is especially strong here and pairs with her clear, clean phrasing. Cole Porter’s “Night and Day” bursts with freshness in a kind of hybrid of low-key swing and soul over which the singer’s vocal floats and sparkles. Another great solo by Sharma gives a bit of spine to the great arrangement. Her charming, lighthearted “Pick Yourself Up” (Jerome Kern, Dorothy Fields) in 7/4 time has a delightful innocence that buoys the song and is guaranteed to put smiles on faces.
Ana Hoffman, The BLCK Madonna
On a very special “My Funny Valentine” (Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart), Enciso’s bass and Russell’s drums are especially noteworthy as the vocal races through an unusually brisk but nonetheless fine vocal. I got a bit of insight into the personal story being told when I saw the singer live and she revealed in her introduction to it that she always felt it was a song to sing to her younger self to get through childhood body shaming and bullying. A heartfelt, and meltingly warm and vibrant “Love is Here to Stay” (George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin) closes the album perfectly, with the band and singer in an infectious, rolling arrangement that is beholden to no one else. I always tell students to sing songs no matter how well-known, as if they are the first ones to sing them and that’s just what The BLCK Madonna does here.
I feel I must mention the name she has chosen because I can imagine certain readers dismissing her immediately because of it. First, it is not referring to Madonna, either the pop star or the religious figure. Rather, it is derived from the Italian word for “lady”—in tribute to her mixed race, multi-cultural background. While it does make sense, I think picking a name that requires that much explanation is not the best plan, exacerbated by the fact that the name “Black Madonna” was already taken so she was forced to use “BLCK.” Her music is too vital, too personal. too serious, and too good to need what will be received in some quarters as a gimmick.
That said, The BLCK Madonna is the real deal. Between the Lines contains some of the best singing I have heard so far in 2026. There’s a fresh, open attack in her vocals that reveals a nod to R&B while she remains steadfast in the jazz idiom. It gives her vocals a distinct, imaginative sound that grabs each song without obvious bows to others that have come before. Her phrasing is her own and so commanding that we can revel in it, hearing the well-known songs anew and eagerly awaiting her take on other classics in the albums to come.
###
Between the Lines is presented by the Noir Collective in partnership with Downtown Music. Executive producer, James Francis; The BLCK Madonna and Rafael Enciso, co-producers.
Gerry Geddes, critic for BistroAwards.com, is an award-winning director, writer, teacher, performer, lyricist, and a contributor to the podcast Troubadours and Raconteurs. He conceived and directed the acclaimed musical revues Monday in the Dark with George (Bistro and MAC Award winner), Put on Your Saturday Suit—Words & Music by Jimmy Webb, and Gerry Geddes & Company (in its five-year residency at Pangea). He has directed singers André De Shields, Darius de Haas, Helen Baldassare, and Lisa Viggiano. He has been active in the cabaret world for over five decades and has produced numerous CDs; his lyrics have been performed and recorded here and in Europe. Gerry’s workshop, The Art of Vocal Performance, is regularly offered to singers of all levels. His memoir of life in NYC, Didn’t I Ever Tell You This?, was recently published and is available at barnesandnoble.com. He is currently at work on his first novel.
