At a glance
The Becca Stevens Band Shadowbox Live, 503 S. Front St. 614-416-7625, www.shadowboxlive.org 8 p.m. Thursday $25 (“The Muse”).
Stevens often tucks cover songs among her originals, choosing to end the album with a darker version of Stevie Wonder’s “As.”
Calling it “the perfect unconditional love song,” she first performed the song at a friend’s wedding six years ago, finally deciding that its spiritual passion should be her project’s capstone.
Selecting the perfect cover might sound as simple as putting together a child’s jigsaw puzzle, but Stevens said it takes time to fit the pieces together.
Will the audience recognize the tune? Will nostalgia keep them hooked? Will it sound too similar to the original?
“For me, personally, I don’t like to hear something done karaoke-style,” she said. “It doesn’t add anything. It’s just a waste of air. But if you want to bring yourself to it, you’re hopefully creating a successful marriage of yourself and this thing that inspired you.”
Jazz artist Jacob Collier — known for his complex sound layering — accompanies Stevens on “As” and the song “Both Still Here.” His effortless approach to music was a contrast to her carefully wrought queen theme.
“Working with him is like hanging out with your friend when you’re a kid. You never want to go home,” she said. “You almost don’t want the sun to set, because you know you’ll have to go home for dinner. … I can just float around on a melody, and he’s supporting it every step of the way with this cozy hammock of harmony and sound.”
Although she’s often pegged as a jazz musician, a look at Stevens’ featured guests — Crosby, Collier and British artist Laura Mvula — shows a style equally rooted in pop, Americana and R&B.
While lush and melodic, the singer admits her blended sound is probably not going to go platinum overnight. Sometimes she wonders how high she wants to climb. Should she shoot for the stars (mainstream play) or retain a natural ebb and flow?
After all, she’s been at this for a decade, with plenty of time to think about next steps.
And while she goes back and forth, Stevens admits she’s pretty happy exactly where she is.
“(I’m) 100 percent living my dream,” she said.