An artist's work often represents their personality, to a certain degree. Poets are sensitive souls, while rock musicians are dark, rough characters - or so the stereotypes go.

Canada's jazz chanteuse Holly Cole - whose voice has traversed a variety of genres from pop to country music and festive Christmas songs - is a completely different flavour in person.

With her long, dark hair gathered loosely, Cole materialized in the Hotel Macdonald's Harvest Room for a recent interview, her usual zest evident.

Her deep, textured voice flowed at a rushed pace as she began talking about her newest album, which is being released in Canada on Tuesday.

"Usually the first record you make is your self-titled record, but I kind of like the idea of doing it deep in," Cole says of the new album that simply bears her name. "It's interesting to be able to make an overall suggestion, to conjure something in someone's mind. But I don't really want to tell people what to think. I want them to hear it and think what they want."

The lack of a formal title complements the album cover's simple black-and- white image of Cole's shadowed face and bare legs, conceived by Cole herself.

"The cover was inspired by Marlene Dietrich 'cause I'm a fan of hers. Not really her singing. She's kind of a terrible singer, but she's a brilliant actress and a very, very interesting woman and kind of inspirational to me," says Cole.

The material itself has minimalistic moments, but is a fantastic collection of arrangements by Cole recorded with a New York nonet.

"The record's a bit of a departure because it's a horn band on the record. Not a big band, 'cause it's not a brass sounding thing. It's a warmer, reedy kind of sounding band," says Cole, who exercises the spectrum of players well.

Some songs, like Cole Porter's It's Alright With Me have a huge, vibrant sound with saxophones and clarinets racing alongside trombone and a French horn while Cole's own Larger Than Life is pared down with just one sax and piano added to the band.

Other tracks, like Irving Berlin's Be Careful, It's My Heart are arranged to spotlight Cole's captivating voice, accompanied only by Aaron Davis on the piano.

Davis first started working with Cole when she formed the Holly Cole Trio back in 1986, a few years after moving to Toronto from her native Halifax.

And this week, for whatever reason, Cole decided to shed light on her first few years as a burgeoning musician. It started with a discussion about the nonet she recorded with and how much we both liked the word.

"My favourite is sextet and I had a band called the Holly Cole Sex Tit. You're the only person I've ever told that to," she says, laughing, but never slowing down.

"I had a band called the Holly Cole Sex Tit, I really did. It was very brief, but I did have one because I couldn't resist. I made it very clear, like 'Get it? Get it?' It's true. It was before the trio."

Getting back to the music and whether or not Edmontonians will get a chance to listen live, Cole says of course. "We're doing the jazz festivals. I hope we're doing the Edmonton Jazz Festival, I'm sure we are and I can't wait to come."

Instead of the nonet she recorded with, Cole is bringing her own, similar horn-based band.

"I'm just realizing, it might be a sex tit. Let me think here how big the band is and see if we have a sex tit," says Cole, counting off the players.

"There's seven, it's a septet. But if you don't include me, it's a sex tit. But including me, it's a septit. Can we make something gross out of that word, too?"

We'll leave it at that and just let Edmonton fans know that, whenever and however she comes through town, hers is one show not to be missed.