On his previous albums, Ciyo Brown showed his guitar skills on a mix of jazz and pop standards. For his latest, Can We Pretend, he had a lot more to say.

The Jamaican-born, British-reared musician sings on most of the album’s 11 songs including Again, a standard recorded by giants from Doris Day to John Holt. Can We Pretend was released in February.

A popular figure in British jazz circles, Brown again expresses himself on guitar, but proves himself a more than capable baritone vocalist.

“Whilst I have produced mainly vocal albums before, what is different about my new album is that I have used the venture as an opportunity to develop my vocal range and also to explore songs from four distinct genres…jazz, soul, reggae and pop. The album consists of 11 songs, seven of which are cover versions with the remaining four being my own originals,” he told the Jamaica Observer.

The covers also include George and Ira Gershwin’s S’Wonderful and the title track, originally done by Bill Withers. His reggae mix of Again has done well on jazz radio and charts in the United Kingdom.

Although that song was made famous by crooners like Doris Day, Vic Damone and Art Mooney, Brown’s introduction to Again came from one of reggae’s most influential singers.

“I am very aware of the two versions, having heard John Holt’s version first as a child. It was much later on that I learned that it was composed and written by Lionel Newman and Dorcas Cochran in 1949. Both versions are absolute classics. I purposely retained the reggae bassline with my renditions,” he said.

Brown’s influences are eclectic, from the traditional jazz of Wes Montgomery and Joe Pass, to the psychedelic blues of Jimi Hendrix and rocksteady riffs of Lynn Taitt. He has toured and recorded with Beres Hammond, Freddie McGregor, Steel Pulse, Caron Wheeler, and Annie Lennox.

Ciyo Brown was born in Franklin Town, east Kingston. He and his family moved to the UK when he was six months old and at age nine, began taking guitar lessons from his father.

While he has a reputation as a jazz player, the sounds of his homeland are a feature of Brown’s work.

“Reggae plays a major role in pretty much all of the musical styles that I am involved in. The feeling of reggae music as a form of expression is very important to me. I often employ the kind of chord and rhythmic textures that are found in reggae,” he said. “This excites me greatly! I also make a point of including the use of the mento rhythm, certainly in my own style of reggae and wherever else I decide to use it. My thinking is very free in this regard.”