Opera fans of a certain vintage can rejoice as the Lesley Garrett returns with her first album in three years for the Universal Classics & Jazz label. Right from the off you kind of get an idea where this collection is going and the only real surprise here is that it wasn’t out for the run up to Christmas.
Beneath the sleeve of Lesley wistfully staring out of the window showing less cleavage than usual is a selection of twelve standards delivered in her inimitable style. All the usual stuff is there, When I Fall In Love, Moon River, More and its ilk. The backdrops for her voice are suitably restrained and Lesley tackles stuff like this with ease, in fact that’s almost where a problem lies. She’s walking through the park with these performances and on occasion her widescreen vocals sometimes dampen the intimacy that songs like this require. There’s even a duet with Michael Ball thrown in for good measure (I know, I know I’m making that sound like a good thing aren’t I) on Come What May that sadly lacks the bites of the original McGregor/Kidman version (probably cos they couldn’t sing so they tried harder).
For the balladeer seeking types with a yen for the operatic this might just be something to fill your boots. Garrett has handpicked the songs claiming she only sings songs she can connect with and there’s no question she has a voice (the nation’s favourite soprano no less) and I suppose in terms of this type of collection it is of a superior calibre than others I have heard, for me personally though this might be something best experienced live.
