Parry Ray – Vocals
John Crawford – Piano
Andy Hamill – Double bass, harmonica
Darren Altman – Drums
Guests:
Simon Finch – Trumpet
Nigel Price – Guitar
Parry Ray was a new name for me, but this is an excellent
CD. It has a nice mixture of standard and original songs, all of which
are delivered with great enthusiasm and purpose. The arrangements,
many by the singer, are well thought-out to fit the style and words
of the song. The backing trio is excellent and the guests also acquit
themselves well.
For such an accomplished arranger, composer and singer,
I was quite surprised to read that she studied Physics at University!
The uncertainty of the music industry, however, means that anyone
anticipating a career in it is wise to have a back-up. It would be
a pity if this young singer could not make a living in it; she has
good diction and intonation - two essentials - and she projects a
personality whilst delivering the songs. No doubt the fact that she
can play bass, guitar and piano helps a lot with her performance.
There are just a couple of moments when the pitching is not entirely
accurate, but they are so minor that I am sure they will be corrected
in the future.
A very impressive first album, in my opinion well worth
hearing, I hope to hear more of this young lady in the future. It
is a shame that public taste puts the winners of The X Factor
above singers of this quality.
I was puzzled as to why the record has no number and
I do wish the people who pick the colours for album liners would choose
their colours more carefully. Red on black is very difficult to read!
Don Mather
CD Reviews
