GEMMA SHERRY - Songs I Love
Tunley Records (No number listed)
Gemma Sherry (v); Billy Woodman (p); Mike Waite (b); Patsy Gamble (ts)
Recorded Cheltenham August 2019 & I track November 2017
These are the songs Ms Sherry loves to sing and all are hardy standards except for three sturdy jazz classics. Some Other Time is the first up and one of her best performances on the CD where she manages to insert a feeling of loss and nostalgia with the promise of catching up ‘Some other time.’ She does very well too on I Fall In Love Too Easily, her voice light and melodic with a little girl quality present. Ellington’s Satin Doll suits her quite well and she sings with spirit and a gentle swing, helped along by Mr. Woodman’s piano and the strong, if slightly boomy bass of Mike Waite. She gets a feeling of melancholy on her reading of Here’s That Rainy Day and is quite soulful on Blame It On My Youth. On Lush Life and Round Midnight, two other jazz staples she is quite dramatic in her interpretation. On Horace Silver’s Peace the singer is joined by tenor saxophonist Patsy Gamble who adds nourishing lyrical sax threads to the piece. As the backing is very thin with just piano and bass, Ms Gamble could perhaps have been usefully employed adding tenor sax filigrees to three or four other selections, particularly as there is no drummer present to steady the rhythm.
The CD is notable for its retrospective cover with the words ‘stereophonic recording’ on the top left, the word ‘stereo’ again in the centre complete with arrows either side pointing outwards and on the right hand side ‘Guaranteed High Fidelity : HI-FI.’ All very nineteen fifties of course. Add to this Ms Sherry’s portraits on front and back with long ‘fifties style hair do and bright red lips and fingernails and I definitely thought I was back in 1957 for a while there. Not that I am complaining, the jazz was great in those days and Gemma’s voice, approach and backing here is reminiscent of those times. The music chosen is all 1940s or ‘50s so there’s another reason for time travel as you listen to the songs. With a clear voice, good accompaniment and solid standards this makes for an enjoyable programme.
There is no number on the CD so prospective purchasers should contact Gemma at www.gemmasherry.com
Reviewed by Derek Ansell
Tunley Records (No number listed)
Gemma Sherry (v); Billy Woodman (p); Mike Waite (b); Patsy Gamble (ts)
Recorded Cheltenham August 2019 & I track November 2017
These are the songs Ms Sherry loves to sing and all are hardy standards except for three sturdy jazz classics. Some Other Time is the first up and one of her best performances on the CD where she manages to insert a feeling of loss and nostalgia with the promise of catching up ‘Some other time.’ She does very well too on I Fall In Love Too Easily, her voice light and melodic with a little girl quality present. Ellington’s Satin Doll suits her quite well and she sings with spirit and a gentle swing, helped along by Mr. Woodman’s piano and the strong, if slightly boomy bass of Mike Waite. She gets a feeling of melancholy on her reading of Here’s That Rainy Day and is quite soulful on Blame It On My Youth. On Lush Life and Round Midnight, two other jazz staples she is quite dramatic in her interpretation. On Horace Silver’s Peace the singer is joined by tenor saxophonist Patsy Gamble who adds nourishing lyrical sax threads to the piece. As the backing is very thin with just piano and bass, Ms Gamble could perhaps have been usefully employed adding tenor sax filigrees to three or four other selections, particularly as there is no drummer present to steady the rhythm.
The CD is notable for its retrospective cover with the words ‘stereophonic recording’ on the top left, the word ‘stereo’ again in the centre complete with arrows either side pointing outwards and on the right hand side ‘Guaranteed High Fidelity : HI-FI.’ All very nineteen fifties of course. Add to this Ms Sherry’s portraits on front and back with long ‘fifties style hair do and bright red lips and fingernails and I definitely thought I was back in 1957 for a while there. Not that I am complaining, the jazz was great in those days and Gemma’s voice, approach and backing here is reminiscent of those times. The music chosen is all 1940s or ‘50s so there’s another reason for time travel as you listen to the songs. With a clear voice, good accompaniment and solid standards this makes for an enjoyable programme.
There is no number on the CD so prospective purchasers should contact Gemma at www.gemmasherry.com
Reviewed by Derek Ansell
