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Eliza Gilkyson, Ad Vanderveen, Iain Matthews - More Than A Song
Perfect Pitch PP008 Reviewed by RP
Fifteen songs, five penned by each of these three guitar picking wordsmiths play across a range of emotions with love’s fragile, rewarding and contrary states at the core of tracks like ‘Fall Into The Night’, ‘Rerun Matinee‘ and ‘All The Way’. While their string chords carry rhythm, melody and tune before them on an album that drips with acoustic simplicity these remain carefully crafted songs which are punctuated by a scoring for piano, harmonica, dobro and mandolin that extenuates the sentiment behind the lyrics. Outside of these romantic entanglements are smartly observed tales about tightly knotted self delusional binds in ‘A Beautiful Lie‘, those endemic small town small minded attitudes of ‘Sing Sister Sing’ and that selfish and single minded world when you’re ‘Home On The Highway’. Airy, lightly rocking country vocals ease you through all of these dilemmas including a sad, punishing and apocryphal Iain Matthews story, ‘Lamb In Armour’. A musically rewarding, intelligent and intuitively played body of work in which these mature yet differing song writing styles are arranged in a complementary and thoughtful way that bears closer and closer examination.

Graham Coxon - Happiness in Magazines
EMI 5775192 Reviewed by SD
On the surface, Happiness in Magazines appears to be an extension of Blur’s early efforts. Tracks such as ‘No Good Time’ and ‘Freakin Out’ convey a youthful exuberance reminiscent of old favourites such as ‘Popscene’. A familiar Blur-like sense of humour is also evident in the album’s lyrics which display a childlike quality through the use of consciously contrived rhymes. A prime example of this can be found in ‘Hopeless Friend’ when Coxon sings, “Come on inside and drop your coat/ Wash your hair you smell like a goat”.
But in between all this fun and frivolity lies a darker side to Coxon’s work full of insecurity and self doubt. ‘All Over Me’ is a particularly unsettling number with its near-violent imagery (“You washed my hair in bright red water/ You really thought I was dead”) and haunting string section. ‘Girl Done Gone’ has a bluesy, melancholic feel to it, whilst ‘People of the Earth’ is a brash, vitriolic attack on contemporary British society. Happiness in Magazines represents a musical return to form for Coxon and is an album which has a wider appeal than its assumed Blur fanbase. The content of this record implies that he has some way to go before he conquers all of his demons, but the end product is that Happiness in Magazines sounds exactly like what it is; Blur with added life experience.

Henry Butler - Homeland
Basin Street Records BSR08022 Reviewed by AH
Now here’s a gem. Henry Butler is a blind New Orleans pianist who incorporates a host of styles in his music He’s been playing professionally since the age of 14 and has recorded a clutch of fine albums for corporate giants like MCA and Atlantic, as well as some of the finest independent labels, including Blacktop and Alligator. For his second album on Basin Street he’s enlisted the help of some of Louisiana’s most respected musicians including native Mississippi bluesman Vasti Jackson on guitar, and bought in ex-Soul Asylum frontman Dave Pirner as producer.
Butler’s piano style tilts a cap to Professor Longhair and Dr. John. He calls it a ‘percussive style of playing that no one else is doing; similar to a stride, but a lot more rhythmic and syncopated’. Make of that what you will; suffice to say the boy can play a bit, as well as being a dab hand at writing a tasty tune or two. There’s plenty of evidence of those piano skills on the instrumental boogie-woogie ‘Henry’s Boogie’, but he also turns in fine singing performances throughout the record, especially on the honey coated ballads ‘The Way we loved’ and ‘I Stand Accused’.
Reference points? Dr. John, The Meters, Al Green and The Neville Brothers should give you a rough idea where he’s coming from. Stick it on at parties and watch it lighten up the evening.

Janis Ian - Billie’s Bones
Cooking Vinyl COOKCD 285 Reviewed by RP
On the reverse of these liner notes is a four-verse extract from a book of Janis Ian poems published in 1968. The poem is entitled Billie’s Bones. Its images of the skull beneath the skin are reminiscent of John Donne’s metaphysical poetry but I think Ian had other peerless artistry in mind, that of the great Billie Holiday. Understandably she is revered on the opening title track. Yet there is a huge tension developed between this musical genius and the fragile human story beneath it. The tone is reverential, the images beautifully morbid and the allusions to flesh, decay, secrecy and those bleached white bones hint at the prostitution, drug addiction, cruelty, humiliation and racial prejudice Holiday experienced during her life. But she was a survivor and it’s clear that this musical legacy empowers Janis Ian’s song writing when she tells us that “When the wind blows from the east, I can taste her on my tongue and the grave is lined and paved with all the songs we never sung”. The lyricism in this and another eleven deeply personal songs like ‘My Tennessee Hills’, ‘Paris In Your Eyes’ and ‘Save Somebody’ reflects upon home, her loves and the social responsibilities she feels through a style that moves away from the smooth pop of Revenge to embrace folk genre storytelling.
Supplier: Track Records - www.trackrecordsuk.com

Jeff Buckley - Grace
Columbia 475 928 2 Reviewed by RP
It’s hard to believe a whole decade has passed since the release of this seminal work; in many ways Buckley’s debut still sounds as current and mesmerising as it did back in ’94. Released at a time when grunge ruled the alternative rock roost, Grace was an album which went against the tide of sneering vocals and greasy hair, and tapped into a more sensitive style of music.
It begins with the sublime ‘Mojo Pin’, gradually building to a crescendo full of raw and fragile emotion, before gliding into the album’s title track. One moment vulnerable (‘Lover You Should’ve Come Over’), the next passionate (‘Eternal Life’), Grace is an album rich in diversity and packed with personal lyrics about the torment of young love. Buckley even manages to make the cover tracks sound as though he’s lived through every minute.
Similarities between Jeff and estranged father Tim are clear to hear, despite Jeff’s desire to be recognised in his own right. To a large extent he achieve this, and today’s artists frequently cite Jeff and not Tim as a major influence; quite an achievement when you consider Grace was the only complete album released in his lifetime. Yet it is undeniably a thing of rare and astonishing beauty, made all the more poignant by the tragic, early demise of its creator and leaving behind a legacy of frustratingly, unfulfilled potential.

Tori Amos - Welcome to Sunny Florida
Epic 516288-2 Reviewed by RP
This near three-hour DVD, was recorded live at Advice Amphitheatre, Florida on September 4th 2003 at the back end of Tori’s “Scarlet’s Walk” tour. Amongst her more recently penned material is a reprise of classic songs like ‘Cucify’, ‘Professional Widow’, ‘Hey Jupiter’ and ‘Cornflake Girl’. Interestingly, the DVD comes with a six-track 33-minute CD entitled Scarlet’s Hidden Treasures. These are songs that she cut for but didn’t include on the previous year’s album. It’s another unmistakably strong and deeply personal set built around her vocals (sometimes layered) and the superbly played piano. Of Course “Amos” and “autobiographical” have always walked hand-inhand and an opening ‘Ruby Through The Looking- Glass’ is no exception as it spot welds together unlikely religious imagery, allusions to Lewis Carroll’s Alice and those typical anxieties of twenty first century womanhood. She also wears a pretty big political heart on her sleeve with a pastoral and spiritual backdrop for ‘Indian Summer’ contrasted against an openly critical view of the current US Presidency. The worldwide wave of post-9/11 unrest is a recurring concern and lyrics about the bombings played out daily on our TVs are wed to images of a girl coming of age in ‘Seaside’. It is yet another of those songs that leave you feeling an acute loss of innocence.
Supplier: Track Records- www.trackrecordsuk.com

John Lee Hooker - Face To Face
Eagle Records EAGCD265 Reviewed by RP
The great old man’s last recording session capitalises on a foot tapping tempo, lead picking guitar and an unmistakably robust vocal technique which continues to exude the very same urbane sophistication on each of these fifteen tracks that it did for much of the preceding half a century. For most of this classic blues material including ‘Dimples’, ‘Mad Man Blues’ and ‘Face to Face’ Hooker is joined by the likes of Van Morrison, Elvin Bishop, Johnny Winter and George Thorogood. The guitar licks, sometimes smouldering, sometimes rip-roaring burn the house down. And while JLH no longer “boom, boom, booms” like he used to, that doesn’t really matter because there’s still no less feeling behind these songs. Whether it’s a slow introspective pot boiler like ‘It Serves Me Right To Suffer’ or in the discovery of that last little bit of self respect within ‘Up And Down’ there’s just no let up in his emotional intent. Even the soulful side of the John Lee Hooker blues makes one of its timely entrances with those deep, richly sonorous vibrato textures on ‘Six Page Letter’ and in a duet alongside Zakiya Hooker that rhythmically nails ‘Mean Mean World’ and a closing ‘Rock These Blues Away’.

Jon Cleary - Pin Your Spin
Basin Street Records BSR09022 Reviewed by AH
If you’re an English musician and you place yourself in an environment where there are more talented musicians per square inch than anywhere else in America, you need to be damn good. Jon Cleary did just that and it speaks volumes for his talent that not only has he been welcomed with open arms but he’s now considered one of Louisiana’s most respected and revered pianists. Bonnie Raitt’s a huge fan (Cleary’s a member of her touring band), as are Taj Mahal and BB King.
He doubtless makes a good living as a sideman but he’s also got plenty to offer as a frontman, as this disc attests. Right from the off Pin Your Spin makes its intentions known: to get every sinew in your body moving and grooving to an ace band who just want to funk the living daylights out of you. I guess you can expect nothing less with titles like ‘Agent 00 Funk’, ‘Funky Munky Bizniz’ and ‘Zulu Strut’. Even when the band take their foot off the pedal they still maintain the groove; ‘Smile In A While’ and ‘Oh No No No’ being cases in point.
The instruments marry together with effortless ease to create the most delightful rhythms – it’s impossible to keep still when you’re listening to it. Legendary producer John Porter has given the recording a big, full sound which is best appreciated turned up loud!

Luke Doucet - Aloha Manitoba,
Six Shooter Records SIX01 Reviewed by RP
This is the debut solo release from Canadian guitarist and songwriter Luke Doucet. He is the much lauded front man for Veal, an intriguing and critically acclaimed motorcycle-hillbilly-rock trio, who adopts a slightly different persona here for Aloha Manitoba which is instrumentally another one of those beautiful pared back to nothing albums. His wilful and highly polished guitar playing stretches the strings and the range of images, while Bazil Donovan’s bass and Barry Mirochnick on drums rhythmically underpin this lean and countrified sound with no little skill, dexterity and subtlety. Songs alluding to striking individuals in ‘Rasputin’, ‘Vanessa’, ‘Pedro’ and ‘Leroy’ vie with that tangled baling twine of ‘The Defector’ and ‘Another Woman’. Their lyrics have bite and the melodies are strongly strung across a dozen tirelessly worked vignettes that never leaves you weary or saddle sore. Luke’s calm, attractive and leather softened vocals eases the passage for the troubled and often personal material found in a track like ‘Outlaws’, but without glossing over an intelligent and gritty subtext. Consequently, Doucet’s musical reputation as the lost love child of a KD Lang and a Tom Waits is from all the evidence here, totally justified.
Supplier: www.hotrecords.uk.com

Maurice Dickson - A Year In The Life
Mo Music MO 006CD Reviewed by RP
A Year In The Life is Maurice Dickson’s sixth solo album in a career that began in his native Northern Ireland way back in 1975. He started out in blues/rock bands singing a mixture of his own compositions and well chosen covers, a good way of supplementing his day job as an engineer.
In 1979 he decided to place his trust in lady luck, so he packed a sleeping bag and left to seek adventures across Europe and North Africa as a full time working musician. The experience taught him things way beyond the confines of the formats he was used to.
A Year In The Life is not a blues album. It’s not country, folk or world music either, more an amalgam of everything rolled into one. Dickson has an acute ear for a teasing hook and a great way with melody and lyrics. The first six songs are low key affairs, acoustic led but fleshed out with subtle string arrangements, not unlike Paul Brady’s quieter moments. The next two have a Pogues-like bounce to them, whilst ‘The Road To Basra Parts 1 and 2’ are cinematic, moody instrumentals. ‘Spirit Of The Music’, with its tribal drumming, could be off a Peter Gabriel album and ‘The Journey’ is Christy Moore. colliding with Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Definitely worthy of your attention.

Tift Merritt - Tambourine
Lost Highway Reviewed by AH
Tift’s debut album Bramble Rose was a magnificent way to open her account, a heartfelt Americana classic in the vein of those early Emmylou albums. It rightly received gushing praise and heralded the arrival of a bright new talent. Here was an artist confident in her own skin; a singer blessed with a voice of astonishing intensity who made the art of song-writing look incredibly easy. The big question: could she follow it up with the notoriously difficult second album?
Well here’s that second album, and the good news is… it’s even better than the first. Tambourine moves with a racing pulse, it contains more upbeat songs which have been immersed in a stew of hard driving soul; southern soul that is, of the Dusty and Aretha variety. George Drakoulias (the man who gave those early Black Crowes albums their swagger) was installed in the producer’s chair and he’s added a certain toughness to Tift’s sound.
The beautiful heartbreakers are still in evidence (witness ‘Plainest Thing’, as good a ballad as anything in Emmylou’s repertoire) but it’s tracks like the pumping gospel rocker ‘Shadow In The Way’ and the horn driven ‘Your Love Made A U-turn’ (with its heavy stax vibe) that are at the centre of this albums being. American music doesn’t get any better than this – they’ll still be buying it 25 years from now.

Ron Sexsmith - Retriever
Nettwerk America 5783082 Reviewed by SD
You’d be hard-pressed not to be won over by the pervading loveliness of Ron Sexsmith’s eighth offering. An album both uplifting and melancholic in equal measures, Retriever has the potential to make you both smile and cry. These conflicting emotions are evident in the juxtaposition of the tracks. For instance, the lifeaffirming energy of ‘From Now On’ is closely followed by the heartbreaking ‘For the Driver’.
With assistance from the likes of Neil Primrose (Travis) and Ed Harcourt, Sexsmith is able to subtly shift through a range of styles; sometimes soulful (‘Whatever It Takes’), at other times alt-country (‘Hard Bargain’). The use of strings also works well, serving the purpose of adding another layer to songs such as the down tempo ‘Tomorrow In Her Eyes’. But Sexsmith is perhaps at his best on tracks such as ‘Dandelion Wine’, with minimal accompaniment allowing his honey-warm vocals to be heard to full effect.
Retriever is essentially an album about lost love, regrets and then doing it all over again. With its infectious melodies and soothing lyrics, Sexsmith’s latest is the perfect soundtrack to a late summer’s afternoon.

Tom Ovans - Tombstone Boys, Graveyard Girls
Floating World FW021Reviewed by RP
Tom’s earlier albums are notable for their roughhewn, sometimes overwrought vocals and an abrasive social commentary. These new songs with titles like ‘Great Big Lie’, ‘Revolution’ and ‘Before I’m Dead’ continue to pack a powerful punch.
Often taking its form from one of those “road to nowhere” journeys either across the underbelly of America or through those seedy downtown bars that are populated by immorality and selfloathing. These vivid mages sickeningly suck the wind from out of you with their depressing sense of attrition. The unrelentingly shots to the body always seem to find soft yielding flesh. Is there a knock out blow? No. We, like lost souls condemned to purgatory, cannot escape this cycle of suffering. The difference between Tombstone Boys, Graveyard Girls and his earlier outings are the higher production values employed. Personally, I find them a distraction. They inevitably draw you away from the lyrical gristle and this can momentarily dilute and even sanitises the Ovans message. Yet always lurking in the background are those scowling snarling observations such as ‘Young girls scream, critics rant while all the f**kers zip up their pants’ (It’s Hard) that snap your head back with their horrendous moments of clarity.

Shelley Campbell - Blue Ridge Reveille
Nettwerk 303662 Reviewed by AH
Every Once in a while a new artist appears on the music scene, someone with a talent you just can’t ignore – welcome Shelley Campbell. Already feted in her homeland, Canadian Campbell has got what it takes to be a very big noise in alternative country; great songs, a hauntingly beautiful voice, a top notch band and oodles of sex appeal. Her father was an evangelist who spent a lot of his time working with the native American Mohawk nation. He would take the young Shelley with him, so although she grew up under the canopy of Christianity it was far from a blinkered upbringing. Once into her teens She hit the highway, spending time with the homeless and later busking in Vancouver – all good experience for a young women looking to discover her reason for being. Recorded in her kitchen, Blue Ridge Reveille contains 14 magical moments in time; Songs so beautiful, uplifting and wise they transport the listener. One of the Album’s many highlights, ‘Is it you?’ could easily have been added to the Cowboy Junkie’s legendary Trinity Sessions without sounding out of place. Campbells vocal style is a mixture of the junkies ‘ Margo Timmins and Nanci Griffith, blended to a twang that’s all her own; once married with her intoxicating songs it becomes a heady brew of inescapable beauty.
She’s coming to the UK in the Autumn… Better make sure you’re there.

Michelle Shocked - Captain Swing
Mighty Sound Reviewed by RP
This re-release of an expanded Captain Swing CD is to be welcomed because its radical musical journey seems to have much more in common with today’s diverse Americana sound than it did on its debut back in 1989. Of course Michelle’s flair for political statements in songs such as ‘God Is A Real Estate Developer’ and ‘Cement Lament’, or bravery when tackling tough subjects like abuse in ‘My Little Sister’ have an undiminished relevance. But it is the inclusion of seventeen additional tracks, nine of them acoustic demos (most of which reprise the original track listings) that are of real interest.
They are in stark contrast to those original jazzy productions and their heavily produced and swinging horn sections. Instrumentally these are beautifully recorded demos pared back to a guitar or guitar and fiddle. The effect is to heighten the impact of her acute social observations. There are also several live tracks including ‘Worth The Weight’ and ‘Poll Tax Song’ that reminds us of how well she can work a crowd. A real find, though, are two songs with ‘Dollar Bill: The Titanic’ and ‘Old Paint’. These herald the folk and fiddle tunes heard later on Arkansas Traveller. Now that Michelle has regained complete artistic control over this back catalogue, I guess we can expect more and even deeper insights on this extraordinary singer/ songwriter’s early career.
Supplier: Track Records- www.trackrecordsuk.com

Theresa Andersson - Shine
Basin Street Records BSR10012 Reviewed by AH
In New Orleans Theresa Andersson is a Goddess. In 2003 she was given ‘The Big Easy Award for Best Female Artist’ and has won Offbeat’s ‘Best Of The Beat’ award six years running for her violin playing. For reasons that are blatantly obvious she is also regarded as something of a sex siren. Not bad for a woman who was born in Sweden and who never intended to play a violin!
I first became aware of her when she backed Anders Osborne on his 1995 album Which Way To Here, a classic of its type which unfortunately tumbled into obscurity (as so many great albums do). She released her debut album No Regrets on her own label in 2002, which cemented her reputation as an artist in her own right, and now follows it up with Shine, a pop/rock effort with a rootsy, southern sheen. She’s dragged along some influential friends for the ride; Neville Brothers drummer Willie Green (inspiring throughout), Anders Osborne, top session pianist Jon Cleary and legendary Louisiana guitarist Sonny Landreth.
Andersson’s vocal style leans toward Cheryl Crow territory and her songwriting is catchy and incisive, with strong, insightful lyrics. Memorable melodies and punchy choruses are there in abundance but tend to come through stronger after the third or forth listen, so don’t be too hasty to judge; give it time and it’ll work its magic.

Hiromi - Brain
Telarc SACD-63600 Reviewed by DD
Don’t judge this album by the opening track alone. ‘Kung Fu World Champion’ is an all out electronic assault, a tribute to Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan, and with its driving percussion and lighting fast keyboard runs is hugely enjoyable. It’s such a gear change when the trio move to relatively straight ahead jazz for track two that my initial reaction was to check the sleeve to be sure it’s the same band. Fronting a very accomplished trio – Tony Grey or Anthony Jackson (bass), and Martin Valihora (drums), Hiromi Uehara is an outstanding musician. She composed all the numbers here, and most range between eight and ten minutes so the band really have the chance to stretch out. This really is an album that rises above the mass of mediocre jazz releases, packed full of surprises and superbly played. The band is extraordinarily tight and eloquent making it very difficult to choose a favourite track although after just a few plays I’m becoming very fond of the title number, almost a mini symphony in its 8.59 minute life. Hiromi’s solo piano piece ‘Green Tea Farm’ is also hugely engaging.
Telarc have done the band proud with a full-bodied, spacious and dynamic recording that’s great in the plain vanilla CD layer and better still in SACD. Hiromi was a new musician to me. I’ll now seek out her other Telarc release Another Mind.

Babatunde Olatunji - Love Drum Talk
Chesky SACD275 Reviewed by DD
This CD, originally released and Grammy nominated in 1998, is the tenth in the Nigerian percussionists ‘drums of passion’ cycle. Based around his own experiences, it encompasses unbridled passion, romantic love and doomed passion. Olatunji’s words are sung in Yoruba, his tribal language, and he transmits the message even more eloquently via the battery of drums that surround him. Just listen to the nine-minute title track with pattering percussion building and building as the musician comments on the unspoken dialogue between male and female dancing partners. Or to the opening track ‘Sare tete wa’, with its plea to an estranged lover.
Olatunji is backed by a vocal trio and an array of musicians including guitar, mandolin, bass and more percussion. It’s the leader that shines centre-stage but the band adds the essential fuel to his engine. Personally though, I could do without the occasional interjections such as ‘very nice’ and ‘I like it’ from the vocalists. The production is excellent, one of Chesky’s best and although the CD layer is outstanding the SACD adds a whole other dimension, more dynamic, spacious and three dimensional, bringing this elightful heart warming experience right into your listening room.
Play loud and enjoy!
Supplier: Vivante - www.vivante.co.uk (44)(0)1293-822186

John Fremgen, Shelly Berg, Pete Erksine - Pieces Of String
Viewpoint VP0011 Reviewed by DD
Viewpoint is a small privately owned company with a bespoke studio in Austin, Texas. Their recordings are now distributed by Mike Davis of Woodside Electronics. This band was a very pleasant surprise. There’s nothing too sophisticated here, just an accomplished trio romping through some standards and a couple of their own compositions, but the beauty of this set is in its very simplicity. Their storming take on Monk’s ‘Little Rootie Tootie’ opens the album and captures your attention with crisp percussion followed by piano and bass in unison, belting out the main theme, before some lovely playing from Berg (piano) taking a more melodic approach than Monk’s staccato original. An eight minute take on ‘A Nightingale In Berkeley Square’ gives scope for a fine solo from Fremgen (bass). And so it goes. Each number is strong and the band are clearly enjoying themselves. Viewpoint allowed the musicians more freedom than many a larger label would and it shows in this fine album. They use vintage Neumann mikes, Telefunken tube pre-amps and the like and they’ve done a superb job here.
To pick just one instrument, the double bass actually sounds very close to the real instrument, with the requisite body and presence that is sadly lacking in the vast majority of recordings.
Contact: m.davis@virgin.net Tel: +44 (0) 1758 741026

Kapustin: Piano Music
Marc-André Hamelin
Hyperion CDA67433 Reviewed by SG
Russian composer Nicolai Kapustin trained in that country’s great piano tradition, and while his works may include lines and structures from that school, his music is pure jazz; but written in classical form. This should not come as too great a surprise when you realise that the two forms are the most virtuosic styles of keyboard playing and composition to come out of the last century, and he has therefore been able to amalgamate the styles of Scott Joplin and Oscar Peterson with those of Rachmaninov and Scriabin without any sense of incompatibility. In line with the best jazz composers, Kapustin is a great melodist, writing fine music, while utilising other forms of composition to achieve his own fusion of styles: in a similar way to Gershwin. Marc-André Hamelin simply flies through the music, ignoring any technical difficulties with the most marvellous command and virtuosity. He adds an ebullient playfulness to many pieces, exhibiting the most tremendous sense of enjoyment. In all, this second disc of Kapustin’s marvellous music from Hyperion is the most exceptionally satisfying discovery, which I hope will result in the label’s complete exploration of this very talented composer’s most colourful work.

Ella Fitgerald, Duke Ellington and his Orchestra - Ella Fitzgerald sings the Duke Ellington song book
Speakers Corner/Verve MGV 4010-4 Reviewed by RG
Speakers Corner received well deserved plaudits for their superb Ella Fitzgerald Gershwin Songbook, a sumptuous re-issue that sounded as good as it looked. On the surface, the Ellington box-set might not seem to have the luxurious quality of the Gershwin, but that’s more about quantity than anything else. The book might be thinner and there’s no extra disc, but don’t let that fool you. From the beautifully reproduced box to the double gatefold inners, the weight of the artpaper booklet to the quality of the printing, this is in every way, the partner and counterpoint to the Gershwin set. The difference is in the music. If the Gershwin is all about show tunes and popular song, this is about scat and jazz. The repertoire needs no introduction and nor does Ellington’s orchestra. The cutting and pressing are up to the superb standard we’ve come to expect from Speakers Corner while the performances are sublime and superbly served by the vintage Verve mono sound. Ella received plenty of criticism from narrow-minded jazz fans for recording the song books. Well, there’s nothing to criticize here as she struts imperiously through the whole range of styles. This is the perfect accompaniment to the Gershwin box and every bit as essential.

Various - Portrait of Bill Evans
JVC VICJ 61171 Reviewed by DD
Evans is undoubtedly one of the most well-loved and well-known jazz pianists in history. He recorded prolifically, appearing on many landmark albums both in his own name and perhaps most famously, played a key role in what many regard as the greatest jazz album of all time, Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue. This album draws together a rich selection of his admirers, all of whom have a profound respect for the man.
With a cast list that includes Herbie Hancock, Dave Grusin, Bob James, and Elaine Elias, accompanied by the likes of Jack DeJohnette and ‘others’ as the sleeve proudly proclaims, this could be a real curates egg. Fortunately that’s not the case and this is a remarkably cohesive set. Sure, there are standouts here – take Bob James reading of his own ‘Under The Influence’ which features fine ensemble playing and some great and uncredited horn playing in addition to James’ sprightly finger work – but the whole album is of a very high standard. Grusin’s take on the Evan’s classic ‘Waltz for Debby’ evokes more than a whiff of the man himself. The album closes with ‘Ghost Story’ Herbie Hancock’s improvisation on Chopin’s C Minor Prelude Opus 28 that truly does raise the ghost of Evans and provides a fitting close to this set.
The recording is full-bodied, dynamic and a credit to the XRCD24 process.

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