Reviewed by Andrew Rolfe

Review Diary. Day One. Okay. So it isn't exactly up my street but it has a point to it, and music with a message should be heard. The question is for how long. Five minutes was all I managed today. I'll have to review this album in stop-start phases: like driving a car with a tiny fuel tank. Day Two. They're happy, the two men who wrote and performed this jolly collection of songs. The lead singer is a Cockney through and through. Some of the tracks are not what I would immediately recognize as jazz, sounding more like they were written for a 1920s London music hall. The major difference is the subject matter. Instead of singing about becoming homeless in the city or being married to Henry The Eighth, these guys sing about Jesus: a far better theme choice if you ask me. Day Three. I'm happy to say that more than half the songs have grown on me. Day Four. I'm often reminded of that classic Robert Redford film The Sting. Two tracks sound like that kid's program Thomas The Tank Engine. Bizarre but true. Day Five. What about instruments? Trumpet solos, banjos (plus solos!), trombones and ragtime piano feature heavily (at least it sounds ragtime-ish to me). A kazoo (or was it paper and comb) provides the intro in "Shout Aloud Salvation", which also features a drum rim tapping reminiscent of a tap dancing extravaganza. Piano and sax with smooth brushed cymbal drumming give us a rendition of "Love Divine": smooth and lulling. Day Six. This album will appeal to your grandparents and anyone you know who loves happy-go-lucky cruise-ship-entertainment music. The two composer-musician-producers play well and obviously have a lot of joy in their hearts, which they delight in sharing. They love the Lord, which is always a point gainer. It's granddad's birthday soon: he's going to love it. Day 12. It's six days since I wrote the last sentence and I've been humming "Sunshine In My Soul" at least once an hour ever since. Warning: The simple, light-heartedness of the songs can be infectious, which include such classics as "Abide With Me", "Faithful God", Bach's "Prelude And Fugue In C Major BWV 553", and "The Butterfly Song". "Love Divine" by Charles Wesley is a tender, smooth, jazz mix of sax and piano with a bass backdrop. This album is definitely growing on me. David Fellingham's "Shout For Joy" rendered in Latin cruise ship style works fine as does Bach's C Major work dressed up in the varied garments of classical piano and stylish jazz. Final Day. What we have here is a solid non-threatening jazz album from seasoned homegrown players who recorded the whole thing in Rod's home studio. I still can't help but find the Cockney accent a comedy item, but it works delightfully on "The Butterfly Song", which is the best version I've heard yet. Great idea. Maybe that's the point. Maybe these guys want us to actually praise God and have a laugh at the same time. Nice idea. It is a happy listen: no angst-filled wailings or prophecies of universal doom. I'll still give the album to granddad, but I'll borrow it from time to time.
7 squares
Andrew Rolfe

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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