Category: Jazz
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Kate Williams: Four Plus Three
Williams is the daughter of one of the world’s greatest guitarists, John Williams (a member of Sky for those with long memories), though given her own talent it would be appropriate to say that John is the father of pianist Kate. This latest project of hers combines a jazz piano trio with a string quartet…
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Michael Wollny and Vincent Peirani: Tandem
Opening piece Song Yet Untitled is something of a surprise: the pairing of German pianist Michael Wollny and French accordionist Vincent Peirani produces a sound you’re not expecting. There’s jazz/classical piano and accordion, with an overall sound like Last Of The Summer Wine if not on steroids at least some strong coffee and a Gauloise.…
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Monocled Man: We Drift Meridian
This album combines late night jazz with electronica; the overall mood is like being out on a foggy night when ships are lost at sea; a stranger is shuffling towards you out of the fog, probably with a treasure map in his hand. It’s all a bit mysterious. That’s not surprising: the concept is obscure…
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Smokey Joe and the Kid: Running To The Moon
Well, we might have gotten us right here our most played album of the year. Yessir. It makes you talk like this because it drops in bits of dialogue from top movies and is a bit 1920s. The opening track has lines from O Brother, Where Art Thou?: “You work for the railroad, Grampa? I…
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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,…
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Peter Sarstedt: England’s Lane
Sarstedt is best known for Where Do You Go To My Lovely, which he wrote, and reached number one in 14 countries. It features on the rather lacklustre Ab Fab film soundtrack, which we reviewed, but, curious as to where he was now, we found that this had been re-released earlier in the year and…
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Mick Harvey: Delirium Tremens
Fair play to Bad Seeds’ Mick Harvey; he’s made plenty of good music in his time, so if he wants to scratch an itch and revisit the songbook of Serge Gainsbourg, he can. Like Nick Cave’s band, Gainsbourg sounded cool but could talk dirty, so Harvey is paying tribute to a man who influenced his…
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Judith Owen: Somebody’s Child
You can have a two-word review for this album: Laurel Canyon. If you want four, Laurel Canyon, Carole King. Owen is a Welsh singer-songwriter, and has been releasing music since 1996. She’s toured and recorded with Richard Thompson, and is married to Harry Shearer (Spinal Tap, and the likes of Mr Burns and Principal Skinner…
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