Curtis Stigers has always been a bit of a musical shapeshifter. From his early '90s pop-soul heyday, marked by the massive success of “I Wonder Why” and his contribution to The Bodyguard soundtrack, to his decades-deep jazz evolution, the Boise-born singer, saxophonist, and songwriter has never been content to stay in one lane. Now, with Songs From My Kitchen, Volume 1, Stigers strips it all down, going full-circle for an intimate album that feels like a performance in your own living room.

It all started in the most unlikely of places: the pandemic lockdown. With the world at a standstill, Stigers found himself at home in Idaho, armed with only his acoustic guitar and the occasional canine chorus from his four dogs. Enter Songs From My Kitchen, a weekly livestream that became a lifeline for both artist and audience. Stigers played everything - old songs, covers, never-before-released tracks - rediscovering the power of simplicity in the process. The experience was so creatively fertile that it naturally evolved into his 14th album, a project as much about reflection as it is reinvention.

The album captures Stigers at his most vulnerable. It’s just him, his guitar, and a handful of friends lending their talents. There’s an undeniable honesty in the way he delivers songs like John Fullbright’s “Until You Were Gone” or Patty Griffin’s devastatingly beautiful “Goodbye.” And when he dives into originals like “I Have Everything,” he’s practically holding up a mirror to his own life. There’s also a sense of playfulness and spontaneity at work here. Tracks like “Burn It Down,” a haunting recollection of a childhood trip to the Old Idaho Penitentiary, showcase Stigers’ storytelling, while “Old Fashioned” feels like a nod to both his disillusionment with the music industry and his newfound contentment. And then there’s “The Song,” inspired by Anthony Doerr’s Cloud Cuckoo Land, a reminder that stories - whether in literature or music - have the power to transcend time.

Recorded in a friend’s garage-turned-studio, the album retains the spirit of its livestream origins: organic, unfussy, and personal. Some tracks remain starkly solo, while others, featuring the likes of Bernie Reilly on bass and Shaky Dave Manion on electric guitar, expand just enough to add color without losing intimacy. And that title, Volume 1, carries a wink and a promise. “There are still a lot of great songs out there,” Stigers says. “And in here, too. You never know.”