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Elly Roberts reviews
Market Square
- Cat.no: MSMCD141
- Released: March 2006
- Rating: 8/10
Linda Ann Lewis doesn’t do pop songs any more;she does classy adultorientated and accessible music. Recorded live at Ronnie Scott’s Club inLondon, the cuddly British songbird returns to the venue where she firstappeared in the seventies. Back then she was one of the first non-jazzsingers to grace the world famous club. She was famous for two excellentsongs, self-penned Rock A Doodle Do (’73) and a cover of Betty Everett’sIt’s In His Kiss (’75). Thereafter her chart love affair waned, though shere-entered in 2000 with Reach Out. Over the decades she’s worked with LutherVandross, Cat Stevens, Oasis, Muddy Waters and Rod Stewart.
Referring to her debut at Ronnie Scott’s, she fondly recalls, “… I wasscared. I could hear Ella and Sarah, Annie Ross and Blossom Dearie in thewalls. Their lovely music which influenced me, as did Laura Nyro, JoniMitchell, Stevie (Wonder) and Marvin (Gaye).I was so scared of the clubowners Ronnie and Pete but they turned out to be great blokes.”
Thirty yearson, and still getting butterflies beforehand, the accomplishedsinger-songwriter dazzled her audience with a selection of album tracks fromalbums Lark (’72), Fathoms Deep (’73), Heartstrings (’74), Woman Overboard(’77), Second Nature (’95), Born Performer (’96), Whatever (’97) along withfour news songs, including latest single I Keep A Wish, I Don’t Do Don’t andI Keep A Wish.
A smooth and sophisticated set, Lewis displays all the qualities that havemade her revered on the contemporary jazz scene.
Flicking like a switch up and down the vocal dexterity range, her penchanthigh pitched voice still plays a major role, though she can drop it withequal effect. Musically, there’s a funky thread running through the set. Shecan also deviate into folky-blues mode – I Keep A Wish, featuring someexemplary bottleneck work on Matt Backer’s steel guitar.
Bringing sunshineto the repertoire there’s a tribute to her Caribbean roots, on Grandaddy’sCalypso, as the brass section run amok. Latino stylings sway right acrossthe infectious Love Plateau – a possible single for the future. Rock ADoodle is considerably beefed up with solid 21st century rock additions,again featuring Backer’s outstanding axework.
Finishing a polished set, she opts for a standard jazz ballad, leaving us indoubt she’s among the best in the business.
Studio version of latest single, I Keep A Wish was released February 27.
Weblink:Linda Lewis.co.uk /Market Square Records.co.uk
The full list of tracks included are :
1. For Love’s Sake
2. I Don’t Do Don’t
3. I’m In Love Again
4. Waving
5. Old Smokey
6. I Keep A Wish
7. Love Plateau
8. Di You Know Dino?
9. Moon And I
10. Far Cry
11. Rock A Doodle Do
12. Grandaddy’s Calypso
13. Sideway Shuffle
14. Can’t Help Lovin’ That Man Of Mine
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.