By Colin 
Caro Emerald, hailing from the Netherlands, has delivered a debut that can only be described as show-stopping. Deleted Scenes From The Cutting Room Floor is the purest big-band jazz we have heard in a long time. From the opening moments, the listener is transported into a grand dance hall, feather boas in motion and a house brass band playing into the night. It feels like stepping into a smoky venue in 1950s New Orleans, where each track creates a world entirely of its own.
This is not modern pop in disguise. It is timeless, period-perfect jazz that allows Emerald’s talents to shine with full vintage flair. Her voice blends precision with personality, offering the richness and swagger the genre demands, while still carrying a subtle delicacy. She can deliver a bold, theatrical vocal one moment and scale it down to an intimate whisper the next, always in complete control.
‘Back It Up’ is an early highlight. It opens with a sax flourish before unfolding into a lush blend of brassy soul, live drums, and beats that manage to feel both classic and fresh. Emerald’s vocal delivery is perfectly judged, sitting comfortably within the track’s stylish rhythm. ‘That Man’ follows with swagger and charm, built around a bouncing piano and a hook that refuses to let go.
Timeless jazz with rare consistency
The sound will likely draw comparisons to artists such as Paloma Faith, and while they may share a similar theatrical tone, Faith has yet to lean as fully into the unfiltered world of classic jazz. What Emerald offers here is something far closer to the source; the warmth, glamour, and shimmer of a bygone era, but with modern studio polish and crisp production. At times, it is the closest your speakers will come to sounding like a gramophone, in the best possible way.
One of the album’s most striking qualities is its consistency. There are no obvious weak points and few real standouts, because nearly every track operates at the same high level. ‘Dr Wanna Do’ may surprise some with its offbeat charm, but it fits comfortably within the wider tone of the record and adds a welcome moment of playful unpredictability.
Deleted Scenes From The Cutting Room Floor is so authentic in tone and execution that it could easily be mistaken for a release from half a century ago. While some artists dip into retro styles for novelty or trend, Caro Emerald embraces the genre completely. Her debut is more than a tribute to jazz and swing. It recreates the feeling of being there. In doing so, she captures something rare, not just the sound of the past, but its spirit.
Colin