BDV 2454

1. Horses mp3
2. God Only Knows
3. Black and Blue
4. He's Not Anyone
5. Shelter From the Storm
6. Go Down Easy
7. Muse of Blues
8. Young Woman's Blues
9. Brandy and Scars mp3
10. Can't Help Lovin' that Man
11. My Boat's Ready
12. Fragile Dance

Christine Tobin - voice & piano, Phil Robson - guitars, Dave Whitford - double bass, Thebe Lipere - percussion, Steve Arguelles - drums.

Christine Tobin, through her music, opens herself up completely to the challenges of contemporary existence: a burning love and a restless defiance pervade her work over five albums for The Babel Label. That same passionate aesthetic reaches its peak on this, her sixth album aptly titled “Christine Tobin’s Romance and Revolution”.

It follows on from a period of huge critical acclaim: a nomination for a BBC Jazz Award for Best Vocalist this year, her highly touted 2003 album ‘You Draw the Line’ (charting at no. 4 in The Guardian ‘101 things to do, buy and see at Xmas’ 2003) and her vivid interpretations earlier this year of Bessie Smith for film director Mike Figgis’ ‘Red White and Blues’ documentary. When she recently performed with Figgis live, John Fordham was moved to describe her as a “blues preacher of stately power”. Christine holds a unique place in the world of jazz as a songwriter and interpreter always looking to find fresh angles and break new boundaries with a set of her lyrically-incisive trademark originals, and on her own expressively unsentimental arrangements of material by Bob Dylan (a soul-jazz version of ‘Shelter From the Storm‘), Brian Wilson (‘God Only Knows’), John Martyn (‘Go Down Easy’) and Bessie Smith (‘Young Woman’s Blues’) with original music set to the lyrics of poets Paul Muldoon and Eva Salzman. With an intimately pared down approach highlighted by the atmospheric South African percussion of Thebe Lipere, Tobin reaches beyond original jazz principles into intensely soulful singer songwriter territory with her “24-carat voice” (according to John L Walters) sounding better than ever. The album was recorded over the course of just two days at Eastcote Studios in May this year. Christine Tobin has been a dominant innovative and creative force for UK jazz singing and writing, in recent years, performing increasingly in Europe, such
as at jazz festivals in Berlin, Spain, Bulgaria, Ireland and Poland. With the new CD, Christine confirms her status among the cream of UK contemporary vocalists.

" She sings it like she owns it. A decisive step by a very talented singer and musician which delivers a fully mature creative vision.”
Keith Shadwick ****

“A 24-carat voice”
John L Walters

“What sets her apart is her apart is he intensity (reminiscent of a young John Martyn; whose 'Go Down Easy' she covers here) and the sheer beauty of her voice, a deep soulful thing that she seems to summon from somewhere deep inside. Tobin sounds like she sings becaouse she has to and brings that passion to the material here; whether in well-chosen standards, her excellent originals or covers of Dylan and Brian Wilson”
Timeout

“Christine Tobin is probably the most adventurous jazz singer of her generation with the ideas and willingness to push boundaries and explore new territory with each new album. Her latest out this month; is called 'Chrstine Tobin's Romance and Revolution'; the title of which is a neat summation of many of the things she stands for as a singer.”
Jazzwise