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Elly Roberts reviews
W14/Universal
- February 2008
- Rating: 8/10
Yorkshire lass Clare Teal gets happy with a covers album, bar two, on her eighth album.
Teals creative juices have been abandoned for a dip into the past, with songsranging from 1920, the ’30s, 1940s, the ’60s and 1970s.
The new First Lady of Jazzs silky smooth vocals are very adaptable, from theswing numbers to the ballads, switching with consummate ease.
By definition, this is essentially an exercise in interpretation as we onlyget two self-penned songs, which are excellent and sit neatly amongst theclassics from way beyond, as they seamlessly blend together. Teals knack isto handle the original material with great respect and sensitivity capturingthe essence of the writers intentions, though a couple dont pop my cork.
Her Latino-inflected All For One has a Buena Vista Social Club mood,conjuring styles of Cuban Son.
Love Hurts, popularised by Jim Capaldi, is more secular than Jazz,which a bit disappointing, whereas Love For Sale (Ella Fitzgerald/SimplyRed) is absolutely sublime capturing the true sensuality of the original byCole Porter. Thankfully Van Morrisons classic Moondance has kept itsformat and vibrancy with Teal on typical form.
The oldest song here, Irvin Berlins standard Cheek To Cheek, is renditionedwith all the gutsy thrust that Berlin intended, texturised by some thumpingupright bass and dazzling drums. Doing a ballad version of Neil Sedakas smashhit Breaking Up Is Hard To Do is a brave move. This doesnt work becauseit sounds too much like Crystal Gayles Dont It Turn Your Brown Eyes Blue.
She doesnt come up trumps however on co-written Get On It Sam, one ofthe best songs ever by Teal, and Amanda Field.
Even though most of the songs are by other people, this is still very much aClare Teal album, bringing her trademark warmth and sincerity across thecollection.
File under: Classy
Weblink:clareteal.co.uk
The full list of tracks included are :
1. All For One
2. Cheek To Cheek
3. Love Hurts
4. Moondance
5. Get Happy
6. Begin The Beguine
7. Get On It Sam
8. Breaking Up Is Hard To Do
9. The Very Thought Of You
10. High Love
11. Love For Sale
12. Time after Time
13. All The Things You Are
Elly Roberts passed away in 2011, but he was a man who was so passionate about all types of music and loved meeting his musical heroes, such as Mick Hucknall at a book signing at the Trafford Centre, Manchester in 2007.
A former teacher and also a music journalist, DJ and radio presenter on local community station Calon FM, plus appearances on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Radio 2, Elly started doing reviews for DVDfever.co.uk in 2004 and he did the majority of the CD and concerts reviews on the website.
I know also that he loved getting away for the summer to Spain and I hope that wherever he is now he is enjoying the hot sunshine and, as one of his friends has said on his Facebook page, that he is interviewing his musical heroes.