Set 1 - You go to my Head - David McAlmont Album Review

Photo:Robert Taylor link

Album Review

If top marks were given for sensuality alone, then this CD would get 10's across the board. This tasty jazz tinged lovers' album from highly respected balladeer David McAlmont is divine.

Rubbing shoulders and providing vocals for luminaries such as Courtney Pine,Jools Holland, Craig Armstrong and David Arnold, the multi-octave vocalist branches out on a standards and covers journey.

Born in Croydon in 1967, he moved to Guyana aged eleven where he began singing in church. Returning to Britain in 1987, he answered an advert in Melody Maker which led to him teaming-up with Saul Freeman in Thieves who released one single, splitting shortly afterwards. His high profile chance came via the duo McAlmont and Butler (former Suede guitarist Bernard Butler) who charted with singles Yes and You Do. They briefly re-united in 2002 with

Bring It Back. Now considered one of the finest singers of his generation,McAlmont tackles compositions by Cole Porter, Johnny Mercer and Harold Arlen, popularised by Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra.

Most striking of all amongst his sublime renditions, are the interpretations

which McAlmont describes as,

...this one is called You Go To My Head because lyrically the songs are all about the philosophy of love and its hopelessness and losing yourself in that experience.

Spot on David, because the mood and feel is sensual from start to finish without falling for straight covers. McAlmont added,

..I had an idea of going back to the masters of the craft to get some inspiration and learn a thing or two about great songwriting before I start writing again.

Starting with a list of 70 songs, it whittled down to 12. As part of his research, he bought several albums from the 'golden age' to hear how they were done in original form, but stylistically he veered towards Betty Carter and Cassandra Wilson. The end result brings handling that is delicate, fragile, possessing an alarming innocence, from such a mature singer. Many romantic albums are invariably sickly-sweet - nothing of the sort here. His delivery is as meticulous as his range, which doesn't always come into play.

Picking a highlight is difficult: they're all superb tracks, though Blues Are Brewing is particularly outstanding and the a cappella One For My Baby.

Forty two minutes of pure magic.

Let's hope there's a Set Two.

Elly Roberts