Tracklist

1. Necessary Evil

2. One More Time

3. Gentleman Is A Dope, The

4. Just Give Me A Man

5. Love Is A Dangerous Thing

6. My Foolish Heart

7. Lies Of Handsome Men, The

8. Get Out And Get Under The Moon

9. Out Of This World

10. Hooray For Love

11. I'd Give A Dollar For A Dime

12. Last Train To Mercerville

Laura Ainsworth’s second album “Necessary Evil” was inspired by her love of film noir, from its pulp novel cover to its Raymond Chanderesque liner notes to the songs that touch on the many twisted shades of love. Only at the end do we learn that if you want pure, happy-ever-after romance, it’s best to look for it in the great old songs on the jukebox…

 Featuring a powerful 13-piece horn section on the opening and closing tunes and some of the top jazz players in North Texas, New Vintage was nominated for several indie music awards and won the Clousine International Music Magazine Award for Best Jazz Video for the title track, filmed during Laura’s tour of India.

Reviews of Necessary Evil…

"My goodness, it is brilliant.” – Koop Kooper, host, Cocktail Nation (World’s leading radio show/podcast on all things cool and swank) 

"Laura Ainsworth has not only met the incredible standard set by her debut recording, but surpassed it with her timeless musical craftsmanship and abundant raw talent." - Eric Harabadian, Jazz Inside magazine 

"Laura's singing is in the classic Big Band style of singing that I like and that is missed in today's music.” – Ernie Felice, Capitol Records artist, Grammy Museum honoree and father of jazz accordion 

“4-1/2 Stars! Laura Ainsworth is an exceptional singer, full of grace and color in her interpretations… Her ability to express the elements of the most classic jazz is incomparable; she is able to subtly display sensuality, darkness, romanticism, naughtiness, and feeling. Necessary Evil is a smart and brilliant contribution to the world jazz scene; it is a real, passionate and lovely tribute to the composers and singers that some decades ago released these standards; it is a tribute to some key moments in the history of jazz.” – Oscar Montagut, TheWorldMusicReport.com  

“…The film noirish cover and tongue-in-cheek notes made me want to pop it right into my CD player... One fine singer who is as at home with the racy ‘Just Give Me a Man’ as with the tender ‘My Foolish Heart’… (She) has made the effort to find some songs that you will not hear on many new releases… The clever closing number by Lee Charles Kelley is comprised almost entirely of Johnny Mercer song titles… This album is musical, fun, and one that I will get back to often.” – Joe Lang, Jersey Jazz  

"Laura Ainsworth steps...back into the recording studio with her delightful new CD, the snazzy and jazzy Necessary Evil (Eclectus Records). She can deliver sultry in simple fashion, but the kind that recalls big band clubs in many a black-and-white film airing on TCM. The production value is easy here, but it’s magically transporting to an era far gone. But what matters most here is that Ainsworth sings with heart... She opts for deep cuts like Rodgers and Hammerstein’s ‘The Gentleman is a Dope’ and Johnny Mercer’s ‘Out of This World.’ While not obscure tunes, she doesn’t go for the obvious... For patient listeners, these 12 tracks play like a dream... Charming and genuine. She doesn’t sing like a diva, but like a character living in the middle of the music."- Kevin Thomas, Dallas Voice 

“Dallas-based vocalist Laura Ainsworth’s sophomore album pops in a way that makes you realize just how terrific old-school jazz can sound in the right hands. Full of vivid instrumentation crisply recorded — there were goose-bump moments, particularly during ‘One More Time,’ when it seemed like the musicians were performing right in front of me — and Ainsworth’s vivacious vocals, Necessary Evil cries out for dim lighting, last call and a fine cigar.” – Preston Jones, Ft. Worth Star-Telegram/DFW.com  

"The thing that jumps right out is quality – quality vocals, quality accompaniment and quality songs. This is not another album of cheap run-of-the mill recreations of jazz and big band standards, no sir, this is a rare treat for music lovers everywhere. Laura Ainsworth is an old fashioned singer who actually interprets the music of the songs she performs and this means you get a dozen stellar performances on this album… It is reminiscent of those classic Verve, Capitol or Columbia albums of the 1950’s…you just need to grab a copy and listen." - Richard Irvine, Radio North Angus, Scotland 

“As sweet-voiced as a meadowlark crossed with a hummingbird…The kind of gig Mae West would uncork champagne to and then sit back in brocade and rhinestones… Vamps, sorceresses, and cabaret divas are the faeryland denizens she saunters among, unhurriedly, at home with winsome seductresses and a Gatsby or two. At times, one can almost hear Tenessee Williams and Oscar Wilde rubbing elbows in the audience.” – Mark S. Tucker, AcousticMusic.com 

“I don't know what's with this whole femme fatale revival thing, but I like the vibe and I like the records when they are done right, like this one is. With a three-octave voice and a pop that played sax with Sinatra, Bennett, Tormé and Fitzgerald, Ainsworth brings a whole lot of other things to the table that make this release stand out at once and pull farther away from the pack with repeated listening… Fun stuff that just screams out for a whiskey neat with a water back.” – MidwestRecord.com