Hump’s first Christmas album in almost 40 years (since A Merry Christmas With Engelbert Humperdinck, but you knew that) is so sweet it’ll make the brandy butter taste as bitter as the tears of Bambi’s mother. His last album The Man I Want to Be was pretty good (it’s Engelbert Humperdinck, we’ll never play it […]
Sheridan Smith: Sheridan
We don’t watch much telly and live for us is gigs, not theatre, so the talented Ms Smith has passed us largely by: we’ve only heard people rave about Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps, Gavin and Stacey and Benidorm (but then, who needs more than Detectorists?). She starred in The Harry […]
Echoes of Swing: Travelin’
Joyously cliched in places, this is a loving tribute to the old swing tunes, all with a travellin’ theme: Orient Express opens, with the piano and snare making a passable train impression before easy listenin’ sax comes in. As John Lewis nearly has it, this is never knowingly over-demanding and overall the quartet has the […]
Engelbert Humperdinck: The Man I Want to Be
The existence of Engelbert Humperdinck has always baffled us: to whit why Arnold Dorsey, of Leicester, should adopt the stage name of a German 19th century composer of operas. The idea worked, which is more surprising. Even if you don’t know who Humperdinck is (the still-alive one) you’ll know his songs: described as “one of […]
Jocee: Just Love
Jocee is living the dream whether or not anyone buys this. She already makes a living with a residency at the Blues Kitchen in Shoreditch, ran an acoustic music night for emerging artists with Pixie Lott for three years and is a member of the Urban Voices Collective. She has worked with Paloma Faith at […]
Hackney Colliery Band: Live
Whenever we’re down in the dumps in the Review Corner, we often play Rock With the Hot 8, by The Hot 8 Brass Band, a New Orleans outfit that blend hip-hop, jazz and funk. It’s not brass as you might expect if you’re a fan of Foden’s Band, and nor are there eight of them, […]
Vera Lynn: Her Greatest From Abbey Road
Dame Vera comes from a different age, when there was less choice in entertainment and people wanted nice songs they could sing to in the front room (while watering the aspidistra) or down the pub. She’s had a long and successful career — she began performing at seven, her first radio broadcast was with the […]
Michael Bublé: Nobody But Me
Nobody But Me It’s Christmas! It must be time for the Bublé to release an album. Thankfully it’s not a re-release of Christmas, though having released it as a normal CD, then deluxe, super deluxe, super deluxe with bells, super super deluxe with whistles and tassels and super dooper deluxe best-ever honest (remastered) with free […]
Clare Teal: Twelve O’Clock Tales
There’s not much to say about this: Clare Teal, one of Britain’s best loved jazz singers, and also a broadcaster, is famous not only for her voice but for signing the biggest recording contract by a British jazz singer. She specialises in singing standards and for this new CD is joined by The Hallé Orchestra, […]
Frank Sinatra: A Voice On Air (1935-1955)
This 4CD deluxe box set comprises 100-odd tracks featuring radio broadcasts and rehearsals featuring Sinatra, and restored from the original recording masters. This overview charts Sinatra’s evolution as a vocalist, and includes samples of his radio work from the first 20 years of his career. Having just had Peter Andre’s swing album to review, this […]
