Customer Reviews

Only Trust Your Heart

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Super sax by Jim, Stacey Kent's wonderful singing, great trumpet work. what more could you want? Jim is unselfish as his wife Stacey in featuring other fine musicians in albumns. A must buy for jazz lovers!

I am writing this in response the the "Kid's" review below. Anyone who sees or hears Stacey Kent as a "musical fake" is stone deaf.
My apologies to Jim for deflecting my review but I couldn't let that comment stand. And now, back to Jim, he is truly a talented and disiplined player. I've heard a lot of sax players in my time and he is one of my favorites. That he is married to, and dedicated to making music with, one of my all-time favorite female vocalists is a bonus. We saw them in Seattle and they had the audience in the palms of their hands. It was one of the most memorable live sets that I've ever witnessed. Together they are truly blissfull.
Give us more Jim and Stacey.

Jim Tomlinson is a rare, lyrical saxophonist in this age of flash and bombast. Yeah, its fair to compare him to Getz but Jim is part of a much wider tradition, with Desmond included, of singing a song on the horn and still swinging. It just happens that Getz is the only player different from Coltrane etal that the average listener is familiar with.
Jim and Stacey are the perfect match sonically and every one of Stacey records (by the way) is enhanced by Jim's playing.

Jim Tomlinson has made a conscious attempt to copy the tenor style of Stan Getz, which to my mind is a great ambition. (He also sounds a lot like a tenor Paul Desmond). There are certainly far too many young sax players imitating Coltrane, it is refreshing to listen to a new sax guy who tries to sound like Getz, paying attention to tone and the expression of emotion. While he doesn't quite have the fire and virtuousity of Getz, maybe that will come with time. If the first note doesn't sound good it doesn't matter how many notes follow. Tomlinson and Getz both understand that the tenor sax is very close to the range of the human voice. One can play a whole lot of fast arpeggio notes and roccoco florishes, but sometimes it doesn't hurt to just play the melodic line like a singer. (Chet Baker, Bill Evans, Miles Davis & Brad Mehldau know this, too).

"Makin Brownies", a Tomlinson original, sounds like an early Getz Four Brothers arrangement. "Only the Lonely" is quite moving, the sax taking the Frank Sinatra vocal line from Sinatra's famous 50's rendition. The title track is done in a gentle Bossa Nova style.

Tomlinson also plays in a backup group for his singer wife Stacy Kent. While they are good together - one thinks of the way Lester Young ran his solos around Billie Holiday, the intrusion of his wife herein sort of breaks the mood and distracts from what should be the focus, Tomlinson. While I like Stacy Kent's vocal albums with Tomlinson, I would much prefer to hear him here without vocals. I think he must be shy.

Also, his backup band does little more than provide sonic wallpaper, they could be more assertive. I would love to hear him with Getz last backup band Kenny Barron, George Mraz and Victor Lewis, who would provide a lot more counterpoint.

But these are really minor points, distractions, from what is a fine album from a largely unknown sax guy with a whole lot of talent.

Four stars for when Tomlinson plays.

A very unusual sound for a modern tenor player,Tomlinson plays his cards just right - a nice balance of technical ability matched with the perfect soul.Stacey Kent's angel like voice flows over the recording like a honey down a bee hive.Ok - I am not a poet , but atleast i have taste. I advice all 12 year olds to take up music lessons before listening to some jazz,atleast good ones.

This is an enjoyable CD that I highly recommend.

Just curious: How does the previous reviewer as a 12-year old "stop the car?" Does the driver allow you to do that?

Stacey Kent is a Goddess is the world of jazz vocals, that anyone can fault or not recognise her immense talent is a tragedy too profound. It was her wonderful talents that led me to discover the skills of her saxophonist husband, Jim. I went to see Stacey live at the Royal Theatre in York one autumnal evening and in the heady excitement and confused melee that was the autograph session afterwards I found myself thrusting my newly purchased cd in Jim's hand for his autograph. Such an ordinary and unassuming guy with a warm inviting smile that leaves you hungry to hear his art. And so it was, warm and mellow from an excellent evenings entertainment, a light autumnal rain and the car heater turned up full. The trip home was surprisingly swift and the music not unsurprisingly appealing. The mellow dusky tones were perfect for the occasion.

But after the excitement has gone and the evening forgotten in the midst of time this one of those cds that all too easily seem jaded and are left to linger to gather dust on the shelf. A nice cd really, and it comes out occasionally just for the memory but thats really all it does for me.

Humphrey Lyteelton tries to ready you for Jim's rendition of "Only the Lonely" in the sleeve notes but nothing really can. I had to stop the car the first time I played this CD when this track came on. Absolutely stunning musicianship with a superb knowledge of exactly what amount of emotion to put into a tune - so many modern players go overboard.

Apart from this track, there is some lovely playing but unfortunately, the overall effect is ruined by Stacey Kent's singing. In her own albums, she manages to give some impression of being a singer but with the context changed, she is exposed for the musical fake she is - Tomlinson has more music in his little finger than she. However, with modern technology, we can get around this. I've burnt a copy of this CD without her annoying pastiche - still, 8 tracks is worth the price.