Tina May tackles the Great American songbook, partnered by Scott Hamilton, the competent, but on this occasion uninspired, young fogey American saxophonist, and the superlative pianists Nikki Isles and Robin Aspland alternating in the backing trio.
The dilemma for British singers of American songs is: original language or not? Tina takes the former line, singing "chills down mah spaan", instead of "my spine", but redeems it by singing September In The Rain in French first.
More problematic are her journeys into Scoobey Doobee, in dangerous Scat-land, and the insertion of random "oohs".
Having set the rules of Cool, Sinatra excelled in the expressive "ooh", but remember Mel Brooks satirising lesser practitioners in High Anxiety - "Ooh, 'xiety".
Yellow card to Tina for transgression, in such gems as I Only Have Eyes For You and Nobody Else But Me, but points for choice of low register for Paul Simon's I Do It For Your Love. Personal criticisms aside, this is a classy Linn production.
Updated: 13:50 Thursday, April 10, 2003
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