Album review: Mette Juul - Celeste

Mette Juul (vocals, guitar); Mike Moreno (guitar); Lars Danielsson (bass, cello, celeste, melodica, cymbals)

There's a wistful, ethereal, little girl lost charm about Danish singer Juul's voice. It entwines, not just around the lyric but also around the heart, the ears, of the listener. The only other singer I can recall who achieved that same effect was the late Shirley Horn. Shirley, like Mette, could turn a swinger into a lovelorn ballad and vice versa. 

The material is superb. Five songbook classics, a couple with lyrics by Norma Winstone who is batting in the same league, a couple with lyrics by Juul and music by Thomas Fonnesbæk and one by Kirk Nurock and Judy Niemack.

It's compelling stuff, the kind of album you want to share with someone special, over a late night/early morning drink the way your parents/grandparents once did listening to Sinatra or Bennett. Who am I foolin'? The way I once did!

It's beautiful and the accompanying musicians are too. If you want to hit the spot this is a good place to start. It's not released until November 10 but you can hear a snippet of Beautiful Love HERE. Lance  

Beautiful Love; My Foolish Heart; With a Song in my Heart; Nature Boy; I'm Moving on; Distance; Northern Woods; Love is a Many-Splendored Thing; Celeste; Where You've Never Been