It is less than three years since the release of Tina Carr’s Songs for Curly.
Pianist Matt Robinson, who was on that album, returns. But the personnel is very different Robinson excepted. Guitarist Tom Ollendorff is also prominent for instance.
Repertoire is pretty familiar although I’d wager you won’t know all the songs and particularly because there is a twist in the fact that Carr sometimes adds her own lyrics that happen to fit in rather well.
The title track is a setting of the London singer’s lyrics to David Raksin 1950s movie song ‘Love Song From Apache‘ also known as ‘My Love and I‘ that Charlie Haden and Quartet West recorded in the 1990s and Coleman Hawkins interpreted in the 1960s. It is unusual to find it as a vocal and is a significant achievement, the vocal gently accompanied by violin and piano.
Also on the album among the personnel are violinist Aanu Sodipe who makes some appealing contributions; trumpeter Miguel Gorodi similarly and who adds movie noir touches; trombonist Kieran McLeod; alto saxist Sam Newbould whose best work is on ‘The Ass’ Song’; bassist Oli Hayhurst and drummer Rod Oughton.
The version of ‘A Flower is a Lovesome Thing’ is done a bit differently to the way you’d expect it. It’s kind of shuffling and offbeat, Carr becomes a little more Billie Holiday-like here.
I shall not sing a May song.
A May song should be gay.
I’ll wait until November
And sing a song of gray.
I’ll wait until November
That is the time for me.
I’ll go out in the frosty dark
And sing most terribly.
And all the little people
Will stare at me and say,
‘That is the Crazy Woman
Who would not sing in May.’
– Gwendolyn Brooks
‘The Crazy Woman’ is adapted from a Gwendolyn Brooks (1917-2000) poem and the musicians have fun when it goes a bit raucous.
‘Ouve o Silêncio’ is a take on a Cláudio Santoro piece, Carr setting lyrics to the piece and featuring Ollendorff. It has a great feeling of saudade.
A lovely album skilfully put together that encourages frequent replay.
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