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Norma Winstone and NDR Radio Orchestra: A Timeless Place review | John Fordham’s jazz album of the month
John Fordham reviews A Timeless Place, a newly released 1990 radio broadcast recording by English jazz vocalist Norma Winstone with Hanover's NDR Radio Orchestra, praising it as capturing the singer at her peerless best. Winstone, now in her 80s and celebrated across a 60-year career with landmark albums, awards and an MBE, is described as a masterful lyricist and confident improviser whose subtle, emotionally rich style continues to resonate.
The album's title track sets Winstone's much-covered lyric to Jimmy Rowles' tune The Peacocks, while other highlights include her wordless improvisation on Ralph Towner's The Glide, a sardonic take on Steve Swallow's Ladies in Mercedes, and an acclaimed rendition of I Loves You, Porgy. The recording, arranged by her longtime collaborator Steve Gray for a top-tier band, is held up as archival evidence of the enduring spirit that still defines her work today.
In short
- Norma Winstone's archived 1990 NDR Radio Orchestra recording gets released as A Timeless Place.
- Reviewer John Fordham calls it her jazz album of the month.
- Highlights include I Loves You, Porgy and the title track The Peacocks.
Explained simply
Norma Winstone is an English jazz singer who has enjoyed a remarkable six-decade career and is widely regarded as one of jazz's finest vocalists. Now in her 80s, she has received numerous accolades including an MBE, and is celebrated for her emotionally nuanced singing style and sophisticated improvisational ability.
A Timeless Place is a recording of a 1990 radio broadcast featuring Winstone performing with Hanover's NDR Radio Orchestra, with arrangements by Steve Gray, who has worked with her throughout her career. The album includes her versions of both well-known standards and contemporary jazz compositions.
This archival recording captures Winstone's performance from 1990 and offers insight into her artistry and approach as a vocalist. For listeners new to her work, it provides an example of the style and technique that have made her an important figure in jazz.
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