TINA MAY - 52nd Street (and other tales)
Tina May sings the songs of Duncan Lamont)
33Jazz 33JAZZ284
Tina May (vocals); James Pearson (piano); Sam Burgess (double bass); Chris Higginbottom (drums); Mark Nightingale (trombone); Phil Hopkins (percussion); Karen Street (accordion)
Recorded 8th & 9th January 2020
Long regarded as one of the UKs finest vocalists, Tina May is also a skilled interpreter of the songs of others. Her mastery of the Great American Songbook has been proven time and time again as a couple of albums for Hep Jazz, Divas and My Kinda Love reiterated. More than that, she is also held in equally high regard by the composers whose music she chooses to sing, as her collaboration with legendary pianist/composer Ray Bryant shows on the delightful Sings Ray Bryant Songbook. This affection for Tina and her work was also shared by British composer and saxophonist Duncan Lamont, and indeed May more than does justice to the great man's legacy on her latest album.
52nd Street (and other tales) was discussed and planned with Lamont prior to his untimely passing, and the project was then taken up by the composer's son, Duncan Lamont Jnr. to see it through to fruition, and we should be immensely grateful to him and Tina for pressing on and completing this beautiful tribute to Lamont Snr.
Opening with '52nd Street' the album gets off to a fine start, so much so that a track as good as this is where most albums would have peaked. Lamont's love of jazz, and especially that created on 52nd Street in the forties shine through, incorporating some clever quotes from Thelonious Monk, and lyrics that convey the excitement and hustle and bustle of the Street, and the energy of the music being created.
This is immediately followed by 'The Algonquin Hotel', an elegant reading with Tina's warm vocal delivery conveying the lyrics with an intense passion, and the exquisite dedication to Judy Garland, 'The Darker Side Of The Rainbow' that leaves no doubt of Tina's mastery of the ballad. Further dedications to others that Lamont admired can be found in the gentle 'Hymn For Jobim' that the composer wrote after Tim Hauser of the group Manhattan Transfer asked him to write some lyrics for a proposed Jobim tribute album that unfortunately was not to see the light of day. Undeterred, Lamont instead wrote his own dedication that is expressively and sensitively sung by May, and contains a lovely solo from pianist, James Pearson.
Indeed, Pearson and his trio accompany Tina with great aplomb. Understated where required yet on the title track, and on with a sense of chaos and confusion depicted Alice in 'Back Through The Looking Glass'. Order is restored once again on 'English Folk Song' and is beautifully played by James Pearson in accompanying Tina's vocal in what is perhaps the most delicate and poignant piece of the set. Quite simply stunning and breathtaking. Another aspect of Tina's mastery is heard on 'Old Brazil', a reworking of the theme tune that Lamont wrote for the children's TV programme Mr Benn, with the singer's brief scatting is delightful.
Duncan Lamont's (and Tina's) love of Paris is captured in 'Camille' depicting the story of a dancer from the Folies Bergeres, and the album concludes with two of Duncan's pieces based on the blues, 'There Ain't Nothing Like The Blues/I've Just Said Goodbye To The Blues' with the delicious blues inflection of Tina's delivery and Sam Burgess' bass solo on the former, and the sheer optimism and joy of shaking off the blues in the latter with a storming solo from Mark Nightingale in a fitting finale.
This is a stirring album full of passion, and like Sings Ray Bryant Songbook shows just how Tina can enter the world of the composer and bring out something fresh and new in the songs. A complete delight from start to finish, and must rank as one of Tina May's very best albums.
Reviewed by Nick Lea
Tina May sings the songs of Duncan Lamont)
33Jazz 33JAZZ284
Tina May (vocals); James Pearson (piano); Sam Burgess (double bass); Chris Higginbottom (drums); Mark Nightingale (trombone); Phil Hopkins (percussion); Karen Street (accordion)
Recorded 8th & 9th January 2020
Long regarded as one of the UKs finest vocalists, Tina May is also a skilled interpreter of the songs of others. Her mastery of the Great American Songbook has been proven time and time again as a couple of albums for Hep Jazz, Divas and My Kinda Love reiterated. More than that, she is also held in equally high regard by the composers whose music she chooses to sing, as her collaboration with legendary pianist/composer Ray Bryant shows on the delightful Sings Ray Bryant Songbook. This affection for Tina and her work was also shared by British composer and saxophonist Duncan Lamont, and indeed May more than does justice to the great man's legacy on her latest album.
52nd Street (and other tales) was discussed and planned with Lamont prior to his untimely passing, and the project was then taken up by the composer's son, Duncan Lamont Jnr. to see it through to fruition, and we should be immensely grateful to him and Tina for pressing on and completing this beautiful tribute to Lamont Snr.
Opening with '52nd Street' the album gets off to a fine start, so much so that a track as good as this is where most albums would have peaked. Lamont's love of jazz, and especially that created on 52nd Street in the forties shine through, incorporating some clever quotes from Thelonious Monk, and lyrics that convey the excitement and hustle and bustle of the Street, and the energy of the music being created.
This is immediately followed by 'The Algonquin Hotel', an elegant reading with Tina's warm vocal delivery conveying the lyrics with an intense passion, and the exquisite dedication to Judy Garland, 'The Darker Side Of The Rainbow' that leaves no doubt of Tina's mastery of the ballad. Further dedications to others that Lamont admired can be found in the gentle 'Hymn For Jobim' that the composer wrote after Tim Hauser of the group Manhattan Transfer asked him to write some lyrics for a proposed Jobim tribute album that unfortunately was not to see the light of day. Undeterred, Lamont instead wrote his own dedication that is expressively and sensitively sung by May, and contains a lovely solo from pianist, James Pearson.
Indeed, Pearson and his trio accompany Tina with great aplomb. Understated where required yet on the title track, and on with a sense of chaos and confusion depicted Alice in 'Back Through The Looking Glass'. Order is restored once again on 'English Folk Song' and is beautifully played by James Pearson in accompanying Tina's vocal in what is perhaps the most delicate and poignant piece of the set. Quite simply stunning and breathtaking. Another aspect of Tina's mastery is heard on 'Old Brazil', a reworking of the theme tune that Lamont wrote for the children's TV programme Mr Benn, with the singer's brief scatting is delightful.
Duncan Lamont's (and Tina's) love of Paris is captured in 'Camille' depicting the story of a dancer from the Folies Bergeres, and the album concludes with two of Duncan's pieces based on the blues, 'There Ain't Nothing Like The Blues/I've Just Said Goodbye To The Blues' with the delicious blues inflection of Tina's delivery and Sam Burgess' bass solo on the former, and the sheer optimism and joy of shaking off the blues in the latter with a storming solo from Mark Nightingale in a fitting finale.
This is a stirring album full of passion, and like Sings Ray Bryant Songbook shows just how Tina can enter the world of the composer and bring out something fresh and new in the songs. A complete delight from start to finish, and must rank as one of Tina May's very best albums.
Reviewed by Nick Lea
