The Guardian - Friday November 26, 2004 - John Fordham

Something's Gotta Give (Linn)
This is the follow-up to British singer Sarah Moule's It's a Nice Thought, for the same label. That debut was devoted to the ironic and scalpel-sharp songs of London-based American lyric-writer and poet Fran Landesman, this one splits Landesman's work and the Johnny Mercer songbook half and half. As on the first album, Moule has surrounded herself with very classy British jazz musicians, with guitarist Jim Mullen making a reappearance, and bop trumpeters Mark Armstrong and Steve Fishwick joining the imaginative tenor saxist Pete Wareham over the immaculate drumming of Paul Robinson. There are therefore plenty of solos to reflect the jazz muse that fuels Landesman, and Moule's crystal-clear tones and subtle pacing balance the improv input by taking typically intelligent care of the lyrics. Her remarkable empathy with Fran Landesman's songs (a double-act with pianist Simon Wallace) is still the strongest feature of this pretty traditional and straight-swinging set. Down, and Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most, two of Moule's most penetrating Landesman interpretations in live performance, are highlights.

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