Body & Soul Consort
47:41
E-Label: bellesecouteuses.com
Well… I approached this CD with an open mind, and if I could have selected my favourite bits I would have been writing quite a positive review of about ten minutes of music. This would have consisted of some lovely singing of 17th-century material by Ellen Giacone, accompanied by archlute, cornet and gamba. Unfortunately, this was not possible as, in addition to being interspersed by 1940s and 50s numbers, the early material had a habit of being invaded by drumkit and bass guitar, as if they had been waiting for centuries for this treatment. While the ‘early’ material is relatively inoffensive, the later material does not really lend itself to performance on a mixture of early and modern instruments, while the crossover treatment is often just silly. I usually complete the headings of my reviews after I have written the review itself, and it is quite some time since I have noted with relief the brevity of a CD. I can’t imagine who will want to buy this curious CD, but if 17th–/20th-century fusion is your thing, knock yourself out.
D. James Ross