8 FEB 2011: MID-WEEK CHAT

So far this year I've been exceptionally lucky to have discovered some great new voices as well as fabulous new albums, which I'll be pleased to bring you over coming weeks.

There's The Cinematic Orchestra who you've already heard on the show and available on video under, featuring the excellent Nina Simone-like vocals (I kid you not) of Heidi Vogel; Austin Peralta's great piano jazz is something to look out for in the future (his piano it is on TCO's 'Lilac Wine' with Heidi plus genuinely superb animation), and being bigged up by Jamie Cullum won't hurt; and Alfredo Rodrigues is another jazz piano player being promoted via another great musician, this time Quincy Jones. Listen out for the Alfredo Rodriguez Trio on future shows.

Among established artists, in this case long established and very great, Buddy Guy's newest release, 'Living Proof' is my album of the month. In my view this album is very possibly his best since 'Skin Deep' and deserved up for a Grammy, as is the great jazz / soul / gospel voice of one Gregory Porter and his album, 'Water'. Accomplished, stylish and full of emotion, 'Water' will be my album of the month for March.

Gwyneth Herbert's is a talent that just continues to grow and her add-on album to 2009's 'All the Ghosts' (this months Revisited & Truly Great), 'Clangers and Mash' (like it!), features her new single and cool Camden Town video, 'Perfect Fit'. It's in one of the posts under, so watch and see for yourself. 

If I have a regret it's that I failed to recognise just how excellent Cyndi Lauper's wonderful blues album of last year, 'Memphis Blues', truly is. Sorry Cyndi: better late than never.

Finally, this week I found online the colourful video to and therefore the song 'Babyfather' by Sade and John Legend, which has been an enormous hit in the US and of which I knew nothing - until now. Sade's album, 'Soldier of Love', will be further investigated over coming weeks.