Rachel Lauren is at the beginning of her career but already has a mature voice, sensitivity to lyrics and the ability to make vintage standards sound worth hearing again. She made her stage debut in musical theater when she was five, appeared in a couple of dozen shows, and discovered jazz when she was 14. Now 21, the USC student has her debut recording out on her own new label. Joined by guitarist Ross Grant, bassist Daniel Fabricant, drummer Brian Carmody and tenor-saxophonist Kirk Hamilton, Ms. Lauren performs ten familiar standards including “You Stepped Out Of A Dream,” “Solitude,” “The Shadow Of Your Smile” and “Caravan.” She has a very attractive voice and improvises well, particularly for her age. The material could be fresher but this is an excellent start and she certainly has plenty of potential. She clearly has a lot of talent and Away From The Crowd (available from www.rachellauren.com) is a very good first step for Rachel Lauren.
                                                                                                        LA Jazz Scene, August 2008
                                                                                                                              - Scott Yanow