With guests singers Brigitte Beraha and Natacha Atlas (particularly evocative with its intimations of the ancient sounds of North Africa on 'Who We Are Now') this saxophone-piano duo album of Tori Freestone and Alcyona Mick is a beautiful achievement and is certainly one of the best jazz albums of the UK we have heard this year. Stirring originals and a cover of Joni Mitchell classic 'Both Sides Now' captured in iridescent fashion by Beraha with lulling accompaniment from Alcyona plus a version of the Gershwins' 'They Can't Take That Away From Me' first recorded by Fred Astaire and Johnny Green & His Orchestra in 1937 and massively covered down the decades since are in the mix. Freestone, whose style lands pervasively in the spiritual jazz domain and whose best work includes the marvellous In the Chop House which included a trio instrumental version of 'Both Sides Now' perhaps a prologue companion listen to the new version that fans will know, was among the 12 Ivor Novello Awards winners last year at the Ivors Composer Awards. The UK saxist won in the Jazz Ensemble category for her work 'Birds Of Paradise' which was premiered at the 2021 London Jazz Festival and a version of which is also a feature on the absolutely essential Make One Little Room an Everywhere.
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