Reviewed by Tony Cummings

The rich bass baritone of Jonathan Veira is of course most widely associated with the repertoire of opera and classical music. But such is the veteran singer's versatility that he can handle songs from a vast range of traditions and here demonstrates as much by performing songs originally recorded by Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, Bryn Haworth, Louis Armstrong and, most surprising of all, Coldplay. Jonathan himself named his version of "What A Wonderful World" as one of his favourites and certainly his rich tones and sympathetic arrangement (including Neil Costello's guitar and Adam Glasser's harmonica) make it every bit as good as Sachmo's. For me though, the most effective interpretations here are when the singer applies his powerful vocal chords to gospel music to sing an incredible version of Thomas Dorsey's "Rock Me" and the traditional spiritual "I Want Jesus To Walk With Me". With plenty of special guests including Ben Castle and Bryn Haworth and Jonathan's ongoing popularity at places like Spring Harvest this is sure to be a steady seller.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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