Search - Norma Winstone, John Taylor :: Like Song Like Weather

The 1960s-era British free-improvisational scene had the beauty of showing only scant recognizable "jazz" elements. Musicians could play in abstract suspension of melodies for hours on end. Norma Winstone got her stripes singing in that realm, spilling wordless sounds that intensified the nonjazz elements. It's surprising, then, that this set of duo performances between Winstone and pianist John Taylor has such swing to it. "I Loves You, Porgy" is gently lyrical, with a level of excitement that gains with every degree of measured nuance Taylor sheds on piano and Winstone spoons out in her curvy, cooey voice. This is a surprisingly excellent blend of tunes, with the Gershwin nod shining brightly enough to make Tony Coe's "Tango Beyond" and Kenny Wheeler's "Everybody's Song but My Own" sound comfortably familiar to jazzoids who've never even heard of the composers. For those who recall fondly Winstone's more ethereal stylings, those are also all over this recording, with the colors and shapes she's created for so long simply reaching around traditional lyrics and giving them new flight. It's a magnificent thing to hear. --Andrew Bartlett