Review of Tout Droit by

LES TOMKINS

The Jazz Rag Issue 109 Autumn 2009

If I were to make a list of listenable British lady jazz singers, it would be quite long, but Liz Cole would warrant a place on it.  With the aid of five superlative musicians, Liz has taken a varied selection of songs and injected her own personality into them.  Her basic trio could hardly be bettered – Robin Aspland on piano, Oli Hayhurst on bass and Tristan Maillot on drums. Two solo specialists enhance seven of the dozen tracks.

Violinist Julian Ferraretto is happily heard on her opening version of the KurtWeill/Ogden Nash gem Speak Low. Liz sings it with great clarity, and ventures into a vocal/violin scat interlude.  Tenorman Ben Castle (son of Roy) wails enjoyably in a funky slant on Beautiful Love, in which Ms Cole improvises neatly on the lyrics, as well as a lot of phrase-swapping with Ben.  Her own title song is performed wholly in French, and she credits drummer maillot with improving the accuracy of her accent.  Some Grappelli-like violin completes the atmosphere. One of Stevie Wonder’s memorable ballades, Visions¸ becomes a rock-feel ride, alternating with up-time bridges, and Ben’s tenor gets almost too far-out.

The album continues with Jobim’s Chega De Saudade in the original language, without a mention of No More Blues, then Twisted taken a shade too fast, but otherwise as ever was.  The old warhorse Get Out Of Town is not comfortable in its Latin treatment here, but her only actual ballad of the set, You Go To My Head, has very acceptable warmth.  A series of praiseworthy surprises lifts the overall value – What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life? Restyled as a waltz, Eleanor Rigby taken for an up-tempo romp and the hymn What a Friend We Have in Jesus turned into a gospelly, bluesy, swinging treat.  Containing Rob Aspland’s best solo, it’s certainly my favourite of Liz Cole’s outings here.