There is a story of Ben Webster, that he once stopped playing, right in the middle of a ballad. When asked 'why?', he replied 'I forgot the words'. The story is probably apochryphal, but the fact that it exists is an indication that jazzers recognise the importance of the lyric and its poetry for phrasing and mood. This album is a dedication to it.
Supplying the lyrics, beautifully enunciated, on this CD is Stacey Kent, an excellent choice since that is what Ms. Kent does all the time, to much acclaim. No deviations to scat or vocalese, no surprises, not too much bending of melody and rhythm because, as Jim Tomlinson says in his album notes, she understands that great songs do not need anything added. (Putting thousands of improvisations firmly in their place). Ms. Kent has a timbre and formant somewhere between Billy Holliday and Blossom Dearie, giving rise to a 'girlish' quality in her voice, which many find engaging. However, perhaps we should regard Mr. Tomlinson's hyperbole of comparing her talent to others as 'a diamond amongst shattered glass' as somewhat influenced by being her husband.
The jazz is supplied by the instrumentalists and what a delight this is. The primary constituents are Jim Tomlinson's breathy tenor and, superbly as usual, the piano of David Newton. A nice example is Corcovado (Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars), given a 2-beat groove and going latin for the tenor contributions. So too is If I Were A Bell, Frank Loesser's lesson on the subjunctive. A nice build at the end of the lyric, where you might expect the vocalist to take the jazz break, is delightfully improvised by Mr. Newton, followed by his trademark left-hand bass-line behind the tenor for sixteen bars.
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Ticking along in support are the beat suppliers, Matt Skelton on drums and Dave Chamberlain on bass. The latter delivers some perfectly placed high speed runs during the ensemble passages and a short but particularly apt solo on My Heart Belongs To Daddy. Cockeyed Optimist, taken at 240bpm, has David Newton's solo finishing on a knock-out octave run into Jim Tomlinson's imaginative improvisation. Great stuff.
With the emphasis on the lyric, it is odd that a French song, Jardin D'Hiver is included for a prospective audience which, like me, probably forsook French classes at 16, if they ever studied the language at all. The song was written for Henri Salvador (a French crooner) by Keren Ann Zeidel, who performs under the name Keren Ann and Ms. Kent sings the song with a commendable accent. It is a 'list' song, where the singer tells what he/she would like in their 'Winter Garden'. Think My Favourite Things with a similar list of inconsequential whimsy like seaside pictures, teapots and New England air. The song laments the passage of time and includes the occasional hip rhyme like Astaire reassessing the dance notation of Latécoère. Ms. Kent's brief unison whistle with the piano, quite makes it a boulevardière rendition.
Whatever the accreditations, this album is more Stacey Kent with the Jim Tomlinson Quartet, featuring David Newton. As a vehicle for Ms. Kent, you need to decide if she's your cup of tea. Suffice to say that this album was voted Album of the Year at the BBC Jazz Awards 2006 and is highly regarded. You can make your own mind up about the album at [this link] on Amazon US (the US site is compatible with Windows Media Player. Their UK site does not currently make listening available for this album).
jazzorg. |
'The Lyric'
