ALISON DEWAR  - NATURAL (2007)

Alison Dewar – vocals

Andy Panayi - Flute and Alto Flute

Graham Harvey – piano

Dave Chamberlain – double bass

Matt Skelton – drums

Derek Nash – saxophone

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review by Peter Quinn - courtesy Jazzwise (UK)

Natural, the debut album from South African-born singer Alison Dewar, follows hot on the heels of last year's 5-track sampler EP. As on the EP, the arrangements from ex-Incognito and George Benson pianist Graham Harvey are uniformly excellent. Not another 'Nature Boy' was my first thought when I inspected the track list. But Harvey transforms it into a slow, 70s style foot-tapper, Panayi's flute adding the perfect retro sheen.

Dewar takes on the challenge of the Hendricks vocalese 'Hi-Fly' and acquits herself well. The singers svelte tone and elegant phrasing are also heard in stylish performances of Jobim's 'Desafinado' and Incognito's, the latter an impressive feature for her backing vocals – makes you 'Mood to Mood' wonder why she restricted this particular feather in her cap to just one tune.

If the pop song 'Black Velvet' doesn't work as a jazz waltz, the arrangement of 'The Best is Yet to Come' as a bass/vocal duet acts as a palate-freshening sorbet between the album's first and second half – a nice touch. Chamberlain and Skelton are, as ever, a finely tuned and well-oiled rhythm section. The album is co-produced, recorded, mixed and mastered by Derek Nash, or St Derek of Clowns Pocket, as he ought to become known in jazz circles.

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