1.
It Never Entered My Mind
2. A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square
3.
How Deep Is The Ocean?
4.
How Long Has This Been Going On?
5.
Can't We Be Friends?
6.
Dreamsville
7.
There Goes My Heart
8.
Happiness Is a Thing Called Joe
9.
It's All Right With Me
10.
Stars Fell On Alabama
11.
Do You Believe?
12. When I Dream
Carol Kidd - Vocals
Paul Harrison - Piano
Nigel Clark - Guitar
Mario Caribe - Bass
Alyn Cosker - Drums
It has been a long time -
seven or eight years - since Scottish singer
Carol Kidd recorded an album, and she has
already tried retiring once. It was traumatic
for her when her partner, John, died in 2003
and for some while she felt unable to work.
She even lost her voice for six months. Then
she began writing lyrics and gradually returned
to performing. At a question-and-answer session
during a 2006 show in Glasgow, she was asked
why she hadn't made any records for so long,
and that spurred her into making this album.
The CD makes you feel glad
that she's back, as she still sings radiantly
in tune, without any artifice or pretension.
Her vocals sound as natural as breathing.
The dozen songs on the CD are well-known (perhaps
well-worn) but she brings freshness to them
with her unforced delivery. She really is
a jazz singer - taking occasional liberties
with melodies and lyrics (e.g. omitting some
words from A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley
Square) and doing such jazz-vocal things
as singing the verse of Happiness is a
Thing Called Joe.
Carol co-wrote two of the
songs with guitarist Nigel Clark. There
Goes My Heart sounds sincere enough to
come from Carol's own experience, and it is
accompanied simply and subtly by Nigel. Do
You Believe? is a similarly delicate duet.
Most of the songs are slowish, although Can't
We Be Friends? is pleasantly bouncy (with
fine double bass from Mario Caribe), and It's
All Right With Me doubles up what starts
as a medium tempo. The backing quartet provides
commendably sensitive accompaniments.
The Linn record label is renowned for its
care with recording and the sound quality
here is excellent. So is the singing. And
the playing.
Tony Augarde
CD Reviews
Linn
AKD 325
