03/09/2006 Dave Gelly

TINA MAY A Wing and a Prayer
(33 Records)

Tina May and Nikki Iles have a rapport that takes a partnership between singer and pianist to a stage far beyond mere voice plus accompaniment. A distinctive atmosphere surrounds everything they do together, a kind of wistfulness, even at the most lively moments. They are joined here by saxophonist/flautist Stan Sulzmann, whose gentle but inquisitive playing provides the perfect complement. The absence of a conventional rhythm section throws the exquisite balance and needle-sharp timing of all three into sharp focus. The whole thing is a treat, but the title song, by Tina May and Kenny Wheeler, is quite outstanding.

25/08/2006 John Fordham

John Fordham
Friday August 25, 2006
The Guardian

A Wing And A Prayer (33JAZZ)****

Singer Tina May's understated chamber-group settings and soft ballads have not exactly grabbed the jazz public by the lapels. But while A Wing and a Prayer is a contemplative album, it's full of subtle activity. You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To, a duet with Stan Sulzmann, is a standout track, with May's sliding pitching and airy sound dancing around his Cool School-inflected phrasing.

Nikki Iles's piano is full of rich implications, subtle turns and mellow harmonies, and it's beautifully recorded: the deep resonances seem to come up through the floor. Iles slyly boogies alongside May on Who Can I Turn To?, while, on Black Narcissus, the pair are tied so close together that they sound like one instrument. But for fans of the orthodox romantic ballad, meticulously but freshly performed, it's a state-of-the-art exercise.

11/08/2006 Kenny Mathison

Kenny Mathieson
Scotsman 11th August 2006
TINA MAY: A WING AND A PRAYER ****
33 RECORDS
THERE is a lot of very routine jazz singing out there these days, but this definitely does not fall into that category. Lesser artists such as Stacey Kent and Clare Teal may have grabbed the headlines, but Tina May remains the most expressive and technically gifted jazz singer on the UK scene. This beautifully performed outing with pianist Nikki Iles and saxophonist Stan Sulzmann features a mix of standards with a couple of more modern jazz compositions by Kenny Barron and Kenny Wheeler.