JACQUI MCSHEE, GERRY CONWAY, SPENCER COZENS - About Thyme (GJSCD012)
The debut recording of a brand new label set up by former Pentangler Jacqui McShee, drummer Gerry Conway and keyboard player, and arranger to the famous, Spencer Cozens.
A mixture of traditional and new material, treated to jazz arrangements and seasoned with such exotica as kora and table.
A number of guests artists contribute to the album with Ralph McTell providing vocals on 'Factory Girl' and John Martyn playing guitar on the up-beat 'Don't Turn On The Light'.
It never fails to amaze me as to just how flexible traditional music is, able to withstand any arrangements and excursions into the realms of rock, jazz etc and still remain intact.
Perhaps that is why the traditional material on this album stands out over the self-penned.
There is a good version of 'Lovely Joan' (covered previously in a jazz idiom by Danny Thomson's Whatever).
Despite some nice flute playing by David Heath, I prefer Renbourne's Ship of Fool's version of Dave Goulder's 'Sandwood Down To Kyle'.
Jazz arrangements are abandoned for straight forward pop on the blatantly commercial 'Little Voices', while guest Tony Roberts adds his sax playing to the splendid late night jazz feel of 'Indescretion'. - a fine showcase for McShee's vocals.
The traditional 'Wife Of Ushers Well' opens with a broad wash of programming but picks up nicely with harmonica and acoustic bass coming in.
The best self-penned number is the seven minute flirtation with World Music 'Jabalpur', with it's Eastern tinged arrangement determined by tabla, kora and berimbau.
On the whole then a pleasing album, with McShee's voice sounding as sweet as ever, but it does little to take folk jazz any further down the road than Danny Thompson, John Renbourne or Polly Bolton have already taken it.
(Andy Hemsley)