''During the pandemic I was about to buy a Lexus and decided to make an album instead'' was how Courtney Pine CBE broached the subject fairly matter of factly in a recent interview in The Guardian Pine with veteran Q&A writer Rosanna Greenstreet in her reliably readable weekly column back in September.
To get in the Spirituality zone reach for Paul Robeson's version of 'All Through the Night' in English…
The album cover up now on a number of ecommerce sites features a wallpaper fabric type design and is to be issued by the great saxophonist and bandleader's own label Destin-E.
Spirituality continues Pine's long running collaboration with pianist Zoe Rahman. The duo are currently in the midst of an extensive tour.
Bass clarinet is the main focus on Spirituality out next month and not tenor or soprano saxophone, certainly a disappointment to fans of his saxophone-playing craving that sound once again. However Pine is a very fine gloom-tube player of considerable welly yes and tender subtlety too.
Half the album numbers feature a string quartet.
Tracks are Pine piece 'Black Water,' Charlie Chaplin's 'Smile,' Michel Legrand classic 'Windmills Of My Mind,' Welsh traditional hymn 'Ayr Hyd Y Nos' ('All Through the Night'), standards 'Girl Talk,' 'Blue Moon,' Irving Berlin's 'What'll I Do,' the African-American spiritual 'Motherless Child,' the Pine interlude and title track 'Spirituality' and CP's piece 'Your Majesty' dedicated to Queen Elizabeth.
… and Bryn Terfel's take of 'All Through the Night' in Welsh also more than whets the appetite
Zoe Rahman and Courtney Pine. Photo: Destin-E
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