Ida Sand - True Love

Artist: Ida Sand
Title: True Love
Year: 2009
Genre: Jazz
Label: ACT Music
Source: CD
Bitrate: 174 kbps avg
khz: 44.1
Mode: Joint Stereo
Encoder: LAME v3.97 -V2 --vbr-new
Reldate: 2009-06-18
Storedate: 2009-00-00

Tracklist

1. Ventura Highway 4:52
2. Notice Me 4:29
3. The Weight 4:14
4. My Biggest Fear 4:05
5. As Long As You Love Me 4:18
6. Devil's Game 4:45
7. Heart Of Gold 4:03
8. Manic Depression 3:27
9. Loverman 5:33
10. Who's Gonna Help Brother Get Further 3:54
11. Redemtion Song 3:34
12. True Love 5:12
52:26

Release

True Love is the second ACT album release from
vocalist/keyboard player Ida Sand following on from
2007 s Meet Me Around Midnight . Her first album
featured ACT regulars guitarist Ulf Wakenius and
trombonist Nils Landgren. Sand has also made guest
appearances on several of Landgren s solo ventures

For True Love Sand has decided to keep things
more in house . Her husband Ola Gustaffson is one
of two guitarists on the album and he also shares
the production credits with Sand. Gustaffson is a
respected figure on the Swedish pop and rock scene
and True Love veers as much to pop and soul as it
does to jazz

The material consists of seven pop/rock/jazz covers
alongside five original compositions from Sand
Joining Sand and Gustaffson in a slick studio band
are second guitarist Mattias Torell, bassist Peter
Forss (also heard on violin) and a veteran of the
Swedish session scene drummer Per Lindvall. There
are also appearances from Peter Asplund (trumpet
and flugelhorn), Magnus Lindgren (flute and bass
clarinet) and backing vocalists Ingela Olson and
Andre De Lang

Sand possesses a powerful white soul voice and is
also an accomplished keyboard player. The careful
arrangements and high class production values are
of the elevated standard we have come to expect
from ACT. However there are times when everything
appears overly slick and the sound sometimes
recalls the ultra smooth stylings of the CTI and
GRP labels. Sand s own Notice Me , probably the
weakest of the original compositions suffers
particularly in this regard

Ventura Highway by Dewey Bunnell of vapid 70 s
country rockers America benefits from an
imaginative arrangement featuring Gustaffson s
guitar and Asplund s trumpet and improves
considerably on the original. A richly soulful
cover of Robbie Robertson s old Band classic The
Weight doesn t quite do that but is hugely
enjoyable nevertheless

The album really hits it s stride with a trio of
Sand originals. The stripped down piano/vocal
arrangement of the ballad My Biggest Fear is in
stark contrast to what has gone before and is all
the more effective for it. Forss s mournful violin
adds a dash of haunting colour and the whole piece
is chillingly beautiful

As Long As You Love Me is another strong
composition with a memorable tune, an assured vocal
performance and an excellent band arrangement with
the emphasis on Gustaffson s guitar

Devil s Game is a convincing blues/soul
performance with powerful vocals, dramatic guitar
and an outstanding contribution from Lindvall at
the drums. It is the rawest track thus far and this
trilogy of high quality original songs can be
viewed as the backbone of the album

Sand returns to covers territory with a version of
Neil Young s Heart Of Gold . It s a classy
interpretation with an interesting arrangement that
makes use of Gustaffson s steel guitar but the
original is so iconic that one can t help missing
Neil s shaky shaky voice

A different kind of problem applies to Lover Man
the only established jazz standard in the
collection. It s another quality performance and
the sparse arrangement makes good use of Asplund s
distinctive trumpet sound. But this is one of those
songs that begs the question just how many
versions do you need? , especially of a song
identified so closely with Billie Holliday

Bob Marley s Redemption Song just doesn t sound
convincing coming from a white woman despite the
obvious care put into the arrangement. However I
found Sands s version of Jimi Hendrix s Manic
Depression far more enjoyable . There can t be too
many covers of this tune around, especially by a
female vocalist. Sand s bravery pays off in an
arrangement featuring sinister drums, reeds and
electric piano

Who s Gonna Help Brother Get Further is an
enjoyable soul/gospel romp with Sand s band
affecting a convincing impression of Toussaint s
New Orleans grooves. The singer really sounds as if
she s enjoying herself here

The closing title track is a little too earnest and
saccharine for my tastes and that sub CTI/GRP feel
creeps back in. However this is the kind of soft
soul that may well appeal to many. Others have
compared Sand to Norah Jones and Lizz Wright and
there is no doubt that there is scope for
considerable cross over success here

Sand is clearly a highly talented singer and
keyboard player and an accomplished writer. She has
surrounded herself with a class band with
Gustaffson the dominant figure, his solos are
short,sharp and tasty. Instrumentally guest artist
Asplund also adds a distinctive touch and
Lindvall s on the money drumming drives the band

True Love is hardly essential listening and not
quite everything works but it is a very classy
offering nonetheless and it s best moments are very
good indeed

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