Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Trudy Kerr and Ingrid James: Reunion

Trudy Kerr and Ingrid James: Reunion

By Bruce Lindsay
October 2, 2010
View read count

Two talented vocalists, top-class musicians, inspired song selections, a few new lyrics and a genuinely original set of arrangements come together to make Reunion: a fresh-sounding and charming album from Australian singers Trudy Kerr and Ingrid James. Kerr, based in London since 1990, and James have been friends for many years. Each of them has toured and recorded extensively but surprisingly, given the obvious empathy between them, this is their first recording together.

Kerr and James' voices are distinctive and complementary. James—who appears in the left channel—has the slightly brighter, more crystalline, voice. Kerr, using the right channel, has a softer edge to her voice that gives her sound greater sensuality. Neither is a bluesy shouter, but apart from that they have pretty much all of the vocal bases covered.

The singers have delved into contemporary song, jazz standards, '70s soft-rock and even the Australian tradition to create Reunion. Songs by

Steve Allen

composer / conductor
1921 - 2000

" data-original-title="" title="">Steve Allen and

Bob Dorough

vocals
1923 - 2018

" data-original-title="" title="">Bob Dorough represent the standards. Allen's "This Could be the Start of Something Big" kicks off the album with a superb duet and a swinging arrangement inspired by

Jon Hendricks

vocals
1921 - 2017

" data-original-title="" title="">Jon Hendricks. Dorough's "Baby You Should Know It" has a slinky groove that's heightened by the vocal delivery from both singers.

There is a strong sense of humor pervading the album, too. It's typified by "Soft Shoe:" the arrangement is based on the original, from composer

Gerry Mulligan

saxophone, baritone
1927 - 1996

" data-original-title="" title="">Gerry Mulligan's Quartet, but Kerr and James extend the shoe theme by vocalizing about their favorite footwear—James sings lovingly of her Jimmy Choos, Kerr describes a bewildering array of styles and finishes, Sebastiaan de Krom's brushes create a well-fitting shuffle beat while Geoff Gascoyne underpins the vocals with, of course, a funky walking bass line.

A slightly darker edge to the humor appears on "A Little Crazy"—

Bud Powell

piano
1924 - 1966

" data-original-title="" title="">Bud Powell's "Un Poco Loco" with added lyrics from Kerr that were inspired by fictional serial killer Dexter.

Tom Cawley

piano
b.1975

" data-original-title="" title="">Tom Cawley's piano solo is terrific—light, delicate and bouncy. There's also a version of "Waltzing Matilda." The song has been called Australia's unofficial National Anthem, so its inclusion isn't surprising, but it is a bit of an oddity. The tale of swagmen, billabongs, tucker bags and jumbucks is given a romantic ballad-style arrangement which hints at hitherto unimagined sexual undertones.

The loveliest song on the album is "When My Anger Starts to Cry," by Beate Lech of Norwegian band Beady Belle. Kerr and James stick very closely to Beady Belle's own arrangement of this haunting composition. Their voices capture the sadness and the mystery of the song's imagery perfectly: Gascoyne, de Krom and Cawley create an ideal musical atmosphere.

Reunion is immediately enjoyable: everyone on the album sounds like they were having fun and this readily translates to the performances. The vocal partnership between Kerr and James is delightful—a second reunion will hopefully be on the cards soon.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

This Could be the Start of Something Big; Baby You Should Know It; You're Everything; Soft Shoe; A Little Crazy; Finding Beauty; When My Anger Starts to Cry; Girl Talk; Way Over Yonder/So Far Away; Cry No More; Dancing on the Ceiling; Art Deco; Waltzing Matilda.

Personnel

Trudy Kerr

vocals

Trudy Kerr: vocals; Ingrid James: vocals; Tom Cawley: piano; Geoff Gascoyne: bass; Sebastiaan de Krom: drums.

Album information

Title: Reunion | Year Released: 2010 | Record Label: Jazzizit

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Le Noise
< Previous

Various Artists: Music of Central As...
Next >

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.