Breakfast On The Morning Tram
Stacey Kent is what men used to call a classy broad. Her elegant fashion sense and understated vocal style make her sound like a woman from another time, an unflappable sophisticate with a warm, slightly world-weary persona. She was born in the United Sates but after a trip to France, she decided to become a jazz singer. In the early â90s she landed in Oxford where she met her husband, musical director/sax player Jim Tomlinson.
Tomlinson also produces Kentâs albums, and this time out, he composed several charming tunes that sound like potential standards, plus collaborations with lyricist Kazuo Ishiguro, author of Remains of the Day.
Original tunes like âThe Ice Hotelâ and âI Wish I Could Go Traveling Againâ are full of wry humor, and Kent delivers them with her usual effortless grace. âThe Ice Hotelâ is a samba that talks of forsaking the tropics for a room that keeps the temperature at a âsteady five degrees.â The ambivalent lyric is perfectly suited for Kentâs unassuming style. Is she chiding a lover for his detached demeanor or promising a passionate night that will raise the temperature and put a sizzle in the air? Itâs hard to tell, and with the music is as warm as the lyric is cool, the tune has a delicious tension. âI Wish I Could Go Traveling Againâ sounds like the kind of tune NoĂ«l Coward used to write, full of urbane humor and references to âoverpriced hotels devoid of charm.â Its melancholy meditation on lost love is enhanced by John Parricelliâs rippling guitar and Graham Harveyâs subtle bluesy piano. Kent slows down âWhat a Wonderful Worldâ making it sound more blue than celebratory.
Her wistful phrasing imbues the song with a painful melancholy. On âHard Hearted Hanna,â Tomlinson supplies a brief, breezy solo while Kent sounds sly and impudent, playing up the lyricâs over the top humor. âCes Petits Reins,â a Serge Gainsbourg tune, benefits from a percussive arrangement featuring bongos, muted guitar notes, and drummer Matt Skeltonâs brush work; Kent drops in brief faux trumpet accents. Kentâs band provides subtle support throughout. Each player steps out for brief impressive solos, but mainly they lay back and support their bossâ unobtrusive style. AMG
[[Selling Points]]- 180 gram 2xLp Gatefold Sleeve
- Recorded & Mixed : March-April 2007 by Curtis Schwartz at Curtis Schwartz Studios, Ardingly, England.
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Description
Stacey Kent is what men used to call a classy broad. Her elegant fashion sense and understated vocal style make her sound like a woman from another time, an unflappable sophisticate with a warm, slightly world-weary persona. She was born in the United Sates but after a trip to France, she decided to become a jazz singer. In the early â90s she landed in Oxford where she met her husband, musical director/sax player Jim Tomlinson.
Tomlinson also produces Kentâs albums, and this time out, he composed several charming tunes that sound like potential standards, plus collaborations with lyricist Kazuo Ishiguro, author of Remains of the Day.
Original tunes like âThe Ice Hotelâ and âI Wish I Could Go Traveling Againâ are full of wry humor, and Kent delivers them with her usual effortless grace. âThe Ice Hotelâ is a samba that talks of forsaking the tropics for a room that keeps the temperature at a âsteady five degrees.â The ambivalent lyric is perfectly suited for Kentâs unassuming style. Is she chiding a lover for his detached demeanor or promising a passionate night that will raise the temperature and put a sizzle in the air? Itâs hard to tell, and with the music is as warm as the lyric is cool, the tune has a delicious tension. âI Wish I Could Go Traveling Againâ sounds like the kind of tune NoĂ«l Coward used to write, full of urbane humor and references to âoverpriced hotels devoid of charm.â Its melancholy meditation on lost love is enhanced by John Parricelliâs rippling guitar and Graham Harveyâs subtle bluesy piano. Kent slows down âWhat a Wonderful Worldâ making it sound more blue than celebratory.
Her wistful phrasing imbues the song with a painful melancholy. On âHard Hearted Hanna,â Tomlinson supplies a brief, breezy solo while Kent sounds sly and impudent, playing up the lyricâs over the top humor. âCes Petits Reins,â a Serge Gainsbourg tune, benefits from a percussive arrangement featuring bongos, muted guitar notes, and drummer Matt Skeltonâs brush work; Kent drops in brief faux trumpet accents. Kentâs band provides subtle support throughout. Each player steps out for brief impressive solos, but mainly they lay back and support their bossâ unobtrusive style. AMG
[[Selling Points]]- 180 gram 2xLp Gatefold Sleeve
- Recorded & Mixed : March-April 2007 by Curtis Schwartz at Curtis Schwartz Studios, Ardingly, England.
