Regular visitors to BSH will be well aware of how enamoured I am of the lyrics of Fran Landesman. She managed to combine the sophistication of Cole Porter with the contemporary insight of Joni Mitchell, the humour of Dave Frishberg and the street realism of Tom Waits whilst still retaining her own, distinctive, identity.
Pianist Wallace combined with Landesman to add the music to many of her lyrics and the result is surely the greatest pairing of words and music since Rodgers and Hart.
Last year I raved over Sarah Moule's Landesman album Stormy Emotions. Moule and Wallace are husband and wife and were friends of Fran so it's not surprising that that album turned out so well.
Nor is it surprising that this album has turned out so well either. Leighton-Thomas and Wallace have musical history and a love of these songs. Nicki has an endearing voice - at times a Blossom endearing voice - that just takes the lyric and gives it the meaning that the songwriter intended.
The icing on the cake is provided by Dave O'Higgins (soon to be heard with SSBB at Hoochie on Oct. 23) on tenor and soprano, Steve Waterman (overdue a return to Newcastle) on trumpet and Paul Stacey on guitar who has some nifty solos as well as having recorded with Nicki in duo format earlier this century. One of the numbers they played then was The Secret of Silence revisited and updated here.
Sarah or Nicki? That is the question. The answer is simple - both! They complement each other without duplication and both albums are among the definitive works of a great lyricist - Lance
Release date Oct. 7 on 33 Jazz Records. Launch on Oct. 9 at Playground Theatre, London.
Semi Detached; One Good Scandal; Overture to Corrupt and Deprave; Did we Have Any Fun?; The Secret of Silence; It's Only a Movie; Hyde Side Blues; Depravity; This Little Love; Don't Fall in Love With me; The Girl You Can't Forget; Stranger.
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