Artist: Sarah Bennett

Date of Release: 01/02/2001

Catalogue no: 1012

Label: Eldon

Price: £9.99

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Track Listing

A mix of contemporary pieces, standards and Latin songs. The title track "Willow's Song" is from the 1973 British cult horror film "The Wicker Man". Two tracks from the CD have been played on "Best of Jazz" and "Jazz Record Requests".

For audio samples visit: www.sarahbennettjazz.com

Reviews

01/06/2001 Ian Carr

This is a very promising vocal album with a highly competent trio. Celeste has a beautifully delivered vocal with clear high notes. Sarah Bennett's voice is generally flexible and very expressive, and she's good on ballads and up tempo swingers, and handles the jokey Two Kites in a manic little-girl voice. However On bossa novas she tends to sound like the deadpan Astrud Gilberto, when she should be aiming to sound like herself. These shortcomings can be easily rectified because she has plenty of natural talent. I found the album generally enjoyable.

14/03/2001 Norma Winstone

Dear Sarah,

Sorry not to have written sooner, but various things got in the way of my listening properly to your CD, like a trip to Cornwall for a family wedding, and a few days’ holiday there. It’s absolutely my favourite place, and I haven’t managed a visit for 3 years, so it was wonderful, even though I came back with a cold. The words to “Wintersweet” are inspired by the place in North Cornwall where we go, Trebetherick. It’s where Sir John Betjeman is buried. Anyway, enough of this.... back to the CD. I like the cover design (which I think is important). I think that your voice has a lovely quality and is very attractive. One thing which I think would improve it is if you used more support from the diaphragm when going for low notes (like F below middle C), just a little extra ”squeeze”, and just try for a fuller more open sound at either extremes of your range. The mid-range is fine. I like the choice of songs; “Willow’s Song” is lovely, I’ve never come across that one. The group sounds good and swings nicely. I don’t know where you got the chords for “Celeste”, but tell Chris that the third bar “making their way to my mind”) should be (one chord per beat) Em11/Em over D/C#m7b5/F#7b9. I missed hearing that movement. Overall though I thought it was lovely. Congratulations.

Good luck and best wishes, Norma.