JANIE DEE AT THE BBC (Auburn Jam Records – AJR2635)
I am amazed that this is Janie Dee’s first solo album. Currently starring in Follies at the National Theatre, she has been a doyen of musical theatre for quite a number of years now, so this album is long overdue.
The CD is an eclectic mix of musical theatre numbers combined with ballads and a bit of zany Spike Milligan thrown in for good luck. I have to admit that when I heard the first two tracks I thought we were in for a Latin-flavoured CD – the songs have that very striking beat – but then we go into other styles and very welcome they are too.
Tracks include: ‘Yes’, ‘One Note Samba’, ‘There Goes the Ballgame’, ‘One of the Boys’, ‘Copytype’, ‘Can You Hear Me, God?’, ‘Cigarette Scientist’, ‘Somewhere Only We Know’, ‘Jardin D’Hiver’, ‘Isn’t She Lovely’, ‘Alfie’, ‘Never Let Me Go’ and ‘Our Love is Here To Stay’.
As you can see, there is a great variety of styles here and overall Dee smashes them out of the park! Each song is given a new treatment, so they are not cabaret copies of the originals, and that is mainly what makes this album so refreshing. She is also beautifully served by a mainly three-piece band led by Steve Clark.
With its almost-cabaret feel, this album will be a fantastic memento to those who have seen Dee in her one-woman show and, for those who have not seen her, it will certainly whet the appetite to get out there and do just that. In the meantime – get the album – it’s great.
Nick Wakeham
www.auburnjam.co.uk/product/janie-dee-at-the-bbc
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