The Satin Album
£9.19
- I m A Fool To Want You
- For Heaven s Sake
- You Don t Know What Love Is
- I Get Along Without You Very Well
- For All We Know
- Violets For Your Furs
- You ve Changed
- It s Easy To Remember
- But Beautiful
- Glad To Be Unhappy
- I ll Be Around
- End Of A Love Affair
An original idea that yielded superb results--Bobby Wellins, the great Scottish tenor saxophonist, recording an instrumental version of Billie Holiday s 1958 album Lady In Satin. Although she was nearing the end of her life, with her voice reduced to a husky croak, this album has always possessed a curious and unique power. Many jazz musicians, Bobby Wellins included, have named it among their favourites. The idea works largely because Wellins has a heartbreakingly beautiful tone and a lyrical turn of phrase. All 12 songs deal with the desolation of lost love and the lyrics, although never actually heard, seem to come through his playing, casting a subdued light over the whole performance. Wellins is magnificently supported by pianist Colin Purbrook, bassist Dave Green and drummer Clark Tracey. It would be difficult to think of a better selection of material-- I m A Fool To Want You, But Beautiful, For All We Know, The End Of A Love Affair--all songs that, when treated with this degree of flair and sensitivity, reach emotional depths far beyond the range of most popular music. --Dave Gelly
Brilliant - Like much of jazz the interpretation of the song often brings much more to the music than was there, note John Coltrane s treatment of My Favourite Things. In this case, however, there is so much weight of expectation covering such an iconic album in total. It is a tribute to Wellins and his band that they pull this off so brilliantly. Wellins tone and phrasing have always dripped with raw emotion, note his playing on Stan Tracey s Under Milkwood, and he is clearly playing to his stregths here. This is a saxophonist who is recognised amougst his peers as a brilliant player and interpreter of songs, he deserves a wider recognition as a national musical treasure. There is aple evidence for this on this album alone.