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Gwyneth
Herbert - Bittersweet And Blue (Universal Classics and Jazz - UK)
April 2005
Amazon does that thing where
they make suggestions based on what you've purchased before. Amazon.uk
does the same thing. Being a sucker for British jazz singers (and for hot album covers),
I was only one click, a few quid, and about ten days away from owning this
puppy. "Friend of Jamie Cullum," the research showed. "Indie
London" calls her "one of the most talked about voices on the jazz
circuit."
Click. I'll be the judge of that. More than half the time I'm disappointed
when I get impulsive.
Not this time.
Right out of the box, Ms. Herbert's turn on Peggy Lee's "Fever" nailed me
to the wall, and then she moved in close - almost whispered Tom Waits'
"Looking For The Heart Of Saturday Night" into my ear.
She works the microphone very
closely. That wouldn't work with some singers.
For me, it energizes something primitive, and the little hairs on my neck
stand up.
Ms. Herbert's "Bittersweet and Blue" is one of three originals on this
disc, and the best of the three.
This disc hangs together well. It sound smart and hand-crafted. Her turn
on "Glory Box" is powerful and haunting. "Only Love Will Break Your Heart"
will.
Ms. Herbert has the attention of much of Britain. Available in the
colonies now, at non-import prices.
You need to own this disc. Ms. Herbert needs to be noticed!
Three microphones (out of four)
- Doug Boynton
(12/23/05) |
