The young vocalist Hayley Sanderson has had a varied singing career ranging from a girl group to a Pink Floyd tribute band plus the usual advertising jingles and session work. She’s worked at Ronnie Scott’s but is best known as the resident singer on TV’s “Strictly Come Dancing”, a show I’m proud to say I’ve never watched due partly to an engrained cultural snobbery plus the fact that Saturday is football day which sees me following my beloved (but not very good) Hereford United across the length and breadth of the country.

“Just Songs” is the second release in Sanderson’s name, the first being the single “Something In The Air” which grew out of a Talk Talk commercial. It’s fair to say that despite the Ronnie’s connection this is emphatically not a jazz album and Sanderson isn’t a jazz singer. It’s a collection of fifteen popular songs, some of them very interesting choices and not at all obvious, delivered by Sanderson in a pared down setting with mostly only piano and acoustic guitar for company.

Sanderson’s chief collaborators are leading studio and session guitarist Mitch Dalton and pianist Rick Wakeman. Whatever your feelings may be about the excesses and pretensions of Wakeman’s seventies output both with Yes and as a solo artist there’s no doubting the fact that the guy can play and his presence here is an asset. Besides which you also got the impression that Wakeman wasn’t really taking it all that seriously. “There’s more smoke comes out of my arse after a curry than came out of that thing last night” he once remarked about a malfunctioning dry ice machine during his Yes days. This human side of Wakeman has seen him enjoy a nice little earner as a “Grumpy Old Man” and occasional “Countdown” guest. In some ways it’s a bit sad that to many he’s better known as a TV personality than as a musician. However I digress.

Sanderson is blessed with a pure, clear voice but it’s better suited to pop than jazz. For me the album doesn’t get off to a good start. Sanderson begins with a version of Coldplay’s “Yellow”. Coldplay, as if you care, are one of my most hated rock bands. I’ve no time for their po faced faux miserabalism. The early hit “Yellow” is actually one of their perkiest offerings but I still find it unbearably unctuous and even Sanderson and Dalton can’t redeem it.

The following “Angel” is more successful, a genuinely moving ballad with the arrangement paced by Wakeman’s thoughtful piano. The slow songs are in general the best, a version of Tom Waits’  “Grapefruit Moon” is also genuinely affecting.

Gabriella Swallow’s cello adds a melancholy edge to Paul Simon’s “50 Ways To Leave Your Lover”, oh and that’s ace jazz drummer Paul Clarvis providing percussion.

A delicate"Moon River” for just guitar and voice evokes images of Audrey Hepburn’s Holly Golightly and the following “Fly”, one of two Sanderson originals on the record yearns effectively.

The cello led arrangement adds an agreeable air of regret to Dylan’s “I Want You” but is less effective on Lennon and McCartney’s “Not A Second Time” where it sounds like something of an indulgence.

An acoustic guitar led “That Lucky Old Sun” is pleasantly laid back and there’s more effective yearning on a piano based version of Carole King and Gerry Goffin’s “Goin’ Back.”

Ron Sexsmith’s “Bloodstained Movies” is an interesting choice as is “Mona Lisas And Madhatters” as Sanderson’s Elton John selection. Both these songs benefit from their relative unfamiliarity and I’d forgotten what a good song the latter is.

“Walking Away”, the second original, features the guitar of co-writer Lewis Hall (producer Ian Mark Wilson also receives a writing credit on both this and “Fly”) and is the most upbeat item on the record with something of a hint of Joni Mitchell about it. Both original pieces hold their own in comparison with much of the strong outside material.

There’s a certain symmetry in Wakeman performing the piano parts on David Bowie’s “Life On Mars” given that he played on the original. I can’t really warm to the version here, Bowie’s unique take on his own song is wholly unsurpassable.

A jaunty version of Jason Mraz’s “I’m Yours” complete with jazzer Enrico Tomasso’s effervescent trumpet ends the album on a light and frothy note.

“Just Songs” is wholly respectable album and a good deal of thought has gone into the song choices and arrangements. It’s not a jazz album but neither is it a cynical tilt at commercial success. I don’t doubt that the wide cross section of material reflects Sanderson’s diverse musical interests and that this is an album with considerable integrity. At the end of the day it’s all a bit too poppy for my own tastes but it’s a record that could have considerable popular appeal if it’s songs get airtime in the right places-I’m thinking Radio 2 here. Meanwhile for all Sanderson’s considerable charms I’ll be continuing to give “Strictly” a wide berth.

blog comments powered by Disqus