When it comes to music, there is always room for the overblown, but anyone who has been following my reviews for the last 35+ years will know I very much enjoy simplicity, and that when a performance is just an untreated vocal and an acoustic instrument it is at its most pure. That is what we have here with Robert Prester (piano) and Adriana Samargia (vocals), as while there is a little reverb on vocals that is it, and what we have here are two people in perfect harmony creating something quite special. It is has been a long time since I came across an album like this, and while it is a very different style I was immediately reminded of the wonderful ‘Firebirds’ album by Daria Kulesh and Marina Osman where singer and pianist are equal partners.
Here we have their takes on seven standards, four of the pianist’s originals, but probably the song which really stands out is the album opener, “Things Can Only Get Better”. I clearly remember when Howard Jones released that song in 1985, when it was a chart hit all over the world, but I did not recognise it until I was reading the press release, such has it been changed. This is for me the perfect example of a cover song, taking something and making it very much their own while also staying true to the original. Once I realised what I was listening to it was easy to hear how close it was, but also so very different indeed (another fine example is Alabama 3’s take on “Hotel California”, check it out if you don’t believe me). From here on we get taken on a wonderful trip through the world of golden age classic jazz which is just a delight.
A special mention must also be made of the Q and A inside the cover where they are asked about the release, and we get things like “Q: What food best describes this album? A: Frozen vegetables. We like it a lot”. It is fresh, compelling, and designed to be played on headphones when the listener can fully delve into their world.
Rating: 9/10
