Recently we've had Stacey Kent, Clare Teal, and Tina May; we've had Patricia Barber,
Diana Krall, and Norah Jones. Now is Helen Sheppard's time.
However, Helen Sheppard is different. Her musical identity is so
strong, she doesn't have to hide behind jazz standards or someone
else's songs - she composes her own songs and writes her
own lyrics. She is equally at home in diverse styles of music: soul,
blues, ballad, jazz, Latin, etc., and in whatever style she chooses
to sing, her musical personality shines through. Both her songs
and her magnificent voice are instantly identifiable, and her lyrics
have some spiritual connotations. We are proud to present the first
CD recorded by this extraordinary talent. It is only a matter of
time that Helen Sheppard will perform at the major international
festivals and in big concert halls. She has arrived, and those on
top will have to make some room for her.
Helen has several hundred songs in her archive, but for this CD
she wrote new songs which were recorded live without overdubs. Her
songs have been arranged by the equally talented composer, conductor,
musician, and piano player Tom Unwin whose trio accompanies Helen
Sheppard on this CD with Gary Evans on drums and Riaan Vosloo on
double bass. Tom has also invited his fellow-musicians to contribute to the recording of some of the songs:
Mick Green on saxophone, Martin Holland on trumpet, Tom Drewitt
on guitar, and Marc Walpot on accordion.
1. Don't Say Goodbye
2. You Don't Love Me
3. In Your Eyes
4. Lazarus
5. Reeling
6. All the Best Men
7. Hello Tomorrow
8. Troubles Inside
9. Three O'Clock
10. Walk Ten Miles
11. Never Too Late
12. One In A Million