Artist: Todd Gordon

Date of Release: 08/12/2008

Catalogue no: 1558

Label: Audacious Records

Price: £10

Add to Shopping Basket

Track Listing

Todd Gordon (vocals); John Colianni (piano); Dave Chamberlain (bass); Chris Dagley (drums); Konrad Wiszniewski (tenor saxophone); Phil Robson (guitar). Produced by Ian Shaw.

This album is Todd Gordon's tribute to the genius of Johnny Mercer and celebrates his enormous contribution to popular music: as a songwriter, singer and founder of Capitol Records, one of the most influential labels of all time.

2009 marks the centenary of his birth and, as a Scot, Gordon was intrigued to discover that Mercer was particularly proud of his Scottish ancestry. He traced his roots back to a certain Hugh Mercer who, as a physician from Pitsligo, Aberdeenshire, attended to the wounded at the Battle of Culloden; consequently going into hiding for a year before sailing to Philadelphia in 1747 and later serving as a general in the Revolutionary War.  

Johnny Mercer represents the only legitimate Scottish connection to American Songbook royalty.

This new album contains a selection of timeless songs which demonstrates the wealth of his talent, especially as an extremely evocative lyricist. 

"Gordon has made the American songbook his own" - The Guardian
“Todd strips away all the cabaret and show biz veneer and gets to the very heart of the lyrics of the Great American Songbook” - David Jones, Serious/London Jazz Festival
“Todd’s choice of music is impeccable and he and the band interact wonderfully” - Sir Michael Parkinson
“Doing it his way, Sinatra’s ghost lives on in the work of one of his most polished admirers” - Clive Davis, The Times
“His clear, baritone voice offers one of the finest examples of tonal clarity among contemporary male singers who work in jazz. His vocal delivery is a sheer delight" - Jim Santella, All About Jazz (USA)

For more information:
www.toddgordon.com
www.myspace.com/toddgordon

Reviews