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Gwyneth
Herbert - Between Me & The Wardrobe
Released: October 15, 2007 (UK)
My son the percussionist says,
"Anybody can do covers. But even if you do them well," he says it's
tough to have a hit with them. To have a hit, he says, you need to do
your own material. Perhaps he's been speaking to Ms. Herbert. Last time
out, on 2005's "Bittersweet and Blue," it was a disc full of mostly
covers - and while I liked it a lot,
this one is so much better.
The genre isn't "jazz" any longer. This one is labeled "folk."
She's switched labels - from Universal to Blue Note - and in the liner
notes, she says it's the first time she's been "...able to present my
songs, my way."
This is a spartan backing group - most tracks with Tom Cawley on piano,
Sam Burgess on Bass, along with Mike Outram on guitar and percussionist
Dave Price. All to showcase Ms. Herbert's porcelain voice. I think her
voice is very much like Joni Mitchell quieter pieces on "Ladies Of The
Canyon."
My favorites included the first track, "Lay You Down," along with "The
Woman Meets The Wiseman," and "Midnight Oil." Many of the tracks seem
dark to me, some harshly so.
I wouldn't advise listening to this one in a darkened room with a bottle
in front of you.
But.
This is stuff of the highest order. I talk about "handcrafted"
sometimes.
This is it.
Very higly recommended.
 
Three and one-half microphones (out of four)
- Doug Boynton
(11/07/07) |
