Kevin Fitzsimons (vocals); Leon Greening (piano); Adam King (bass); Matt
Fishwick (drums); Frank Griffith (ten sax); Lloyd Haines (ten sax on bonus
track).
(Review by Ann Alex).
The information sheet provided with this review CD (from Beaconville
Music) was a reviewer’s dream, with all the gen listed in bullet points and all
you needed to know at the top of the sheet. I wish they were all like this. So
I learned that this is Mr Fitzsimmons second album, recorded live at Soho’s
Pizza Express Jazz Club in 2016, and the album launch is at the same
establishment on June 18 at 1pm. We have Gasbook songs, soul and rock classics,
and two Fitzsimmons compositions, all inventively sung well, by our more than
competent singer and a stellar band.
Fitzsimmons; a Londoner, a bandleader, a songwriter and a performer at
Ronnie Scott’s and further afield. His vocals have been used in TV and radio
commercials. What’s more, our singer also did the original artwork on the CD
cover.
The opening track, Working Day and Night, is busy, speedy,
with lots of repeated notes in the piano solo, suiting the subject well. The
original Don’t You Dare Get Bored With Me is edgy, with
musical references to Work Song, when work is mentioned, and Old
Devil Moon is made more devilish by being sung in short
sharp phrases. Sting’s Every Breath You Take is a real
swinger, with clever band references to Don’t Get Around Much Any More. Here’s
That Rainy Day becomes a Latin style tune and the original, Cuban
Alibi, another Latin, is an edgy song about a last time meeting with a
lover.
Other tracks are: This Masquerade and It Never
Entered My Mind. The CD is cleverly finalised with a bonus track of Georgia
On My Mind, an extended version with lots of playing around with the
lyrics and an extremely long vocal note, a bit of forgivable showing off,
forgivable because the singer and the band deserve to be listened to.
Available from Cadiz Music on the Jazzwurx label, cat no. JWR012CD from
June 9. See www.jazzwurx.co.uk
Ann Alex.
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