On this album Anne Burnell (vocals) and Mark Burnell (piano, keyboards, vocals) have been joined by Joshua Ramos (bass), Jim Widlowski (drums & percussion), Pat Mallinger (sax), and Fareed Haque (guitar) and the result is simply one of the most enjoyable golden age jazz albums I have heard in years. Anne and Mark both have delightful voices, and I found myself often thinking of The Carpenters, not in style but in that they knew just the arrangements needed for each song. Most of the songs contained within are well-known, such as the title cut, “Song Sung Blue”, “Sir Duke”, “I Could Have Danced All Night” and more, and each one is an absolute delight.

Anne often takes the lead, while Mark can be found harmonising or letting Anne take the spotlight. Everything about this set feels right, from the delicate percussion and bass to the piano which underpins most of the songs, or the sax and guitar which make their presence felt when the time is right. This is very much an album to relax into from two masters of the craft. They never try to overplay or bring in too much but instead rely on simplicity and musicality to let the songs speak for themselves without trying to make their own mark on everything. There is a swing, and a presence combined with the knowledge that restraint is the order of the day, and the album is all the better for it. This is something I have enjoyed playing repeatedly.

Rating: 9/10

Links:
https://burnellmusic.com/