CD Review: Lady Sings the Blues - Laughing at Life.

Val Wiseman (vcl); Digby Fairweather (tpt); Roy Williams (tmb); Julian Marc Stringle (clt/ten); Brian Dee (pno); Len Skeat (bs); Eric Ford (dms).

(Review by Lance)

One of the highlights of 2015 was the concert by Val Wiseman and her Lady Sings the Blues entourage at Durham's Gala Theatre. I say 2015, but as the show has been on the road since 1987, it could, and probably was, a highlight of any of the years in between!

Recorded live, that same year (2015), at Birmingham Jazz and Blues Festival, this is as good a Billie tribute as you're going to get. 

If you were at Durham or Birmingham or wherever this is the perfect souvenir. If you weren't at one of the live gigs then this becomes an essential!

Let's look at the evidence.

The singer: Val Wiseman,  a wise woman (sorry!) who conveys the spirit of the recordings without attempting to copy. She has her own personae, relating to Billie and the songs whilst retaining her own identity. Probably the best interpreter of the Billie Holiday songbook as anyone around today.

The band:  See above - Six of the Best!

The songs; Laughing at Life; That's Life I Guess; God Bless the Child; Miss Brown to You; Good Morning Heartache; How Could You?; Comes Love; You've Changed; Ain't Nobody's Business; Lover Man; Now Baby or Never; My Man; Fine and Mellow.

One of those CDs you put on the car stereo and find you're still listening to it, and discovering something new after six weeks, of unnoticed red (traffic) lights, a few near collisions and at least one charge of Driving Without Due Care and Attention.

"I was paying due care and attention your honour, 'cept it was to that Lady Sings the Blues CD - Laughing at Life rather than that number 27 bus that braked suddenly ....."

"Mitigating circumstances - case dismissed and, er, could I borrow the disc?."

Lance.

To be released by Big Bear Records on May 20.