(4 / 5)
There is something special about a great jazz standard. The songs may be nearly 100 years old, but their stories of love, heartache and hope remain as familiar as ever.
Greek-born, London-based singer and songwriter Eleonora Kouneni explores this timeless music on her new four-track EP, “Independently Blue”.
Following “This Eager Heart” EP, released in March 2026, this is the second part of a project that takes a fresh look at the Great American Songbook, and Eleonora brings them together to tell a story about love, uncertainty and the difficult decisions we face when relationships change.
Her musical influences include some of jazz’s most celebrated female vocalists, including Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday and Sarah Vaughan.
That connection between past and present sits at the heart of “Independently Blue”. These tracks: “Can’t We Be Friends”, “Close Your Eyes”, “Love Me or Leave Me” and “Skylark”, draw on a rich tradition of American popular songwriting, where memorable melodies meet lyrics that can be witty, tender or painfully honest.
The music is built around Eleonora’s vocals, with Chris Lee on piano, Martin Young on double bass and Manuel Filgueiras on drums. Lee is a longstanding musical collaborator who also shares the arranging duties with Eleonora. His experience as a pianist, composer and arranger brings an important element to the project, while the small-group line-up keeps the focus on the songs themselves.
The choice of material is particularly interesting. Written between 1929 and 1941 by Kay Swift and Paul James, Bernice Petkere, Walter Donaldson and Gus Khan, and Hoagy Carmichael and Johnny Mercer – from a period when the Great American Songbook was taking shape.
They have since been interpreted by generations of jazz singers, each bringing something of their own experience to the music. Eleonora’s approach is rooted in respect for that tradition, while exploring what these songs can tell us about relationships today.
The title track comes from the idea of standing your ground when love becomes complicated. The lead single, “Love Me Or Leave Me”, due for release on 23rd October, captures that moment when patience runs out and a decision has to be made. There is also a personal story behind the project. Eleonora began working on these two EPs following the death of her grandmother in 2025.
Revisiting music from an earlier generation became a way of connecting with a world her grandmother had known, and of recognising how songs can carry emotions and memories across generations.
Since releasing her debut EP of original material, “If You Just…”, in 2023, Eleonora has built an international audience, reaching millions of streams and helping her secure sold-out shows in London and the US. Her move into jazz standards has opened another chapter in her musical career, allowing her songwriting sensibility to meet a repertoire with a long and rich history.
With carefully chosen standards and a team of established musical collaborators, Eleonora brings warmth, sensitivity and an honest, natural delivery to these much-loved songs, adding her own touch while staying true to their roots and showing that the Great American Songbook remains as meaningful as ever.
- “Independently Blue” is released on 20th November with a launch show at PizzaExpress Live (The Pheasantry) in London on the same day.
By Manja Williams
Photos: Tyrone Lewis (EP cover) / Kim Hardy (white dress) / John Lyons (stage shot)
(1 / 5) ‘Dull Zone’
(2 / 5) ‘OK Zone’
(3 / 5) ‘Decent Zone’
(4 / 5) ‘Super Zone’
(5 / 5) ‘Awesome Zone’
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