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Christine Tobin and Liam Noble: Tapestry Unravelled
ByThe idea for this album came from Tobin, who was introduced to Tapestry as a child by her sister Deirdre. After Deirdre's untimely death in 2009, Tobin sang "Beautiful" at her memorial service. Soon afterwards Tobin enlisted Noble, an innovative pianist who has played in the singer's band for some years, to play these songs at a club gig, and the response led them both to Curtis Schwartz's recording studio. The entire album was recorded at a single session.
The songs on Tapestry Unravelled are instantly recognizable, but Tobin and Noble lend each of them a unique twist. In most cases Noble stays close to the melody, but he's also happy to make the occasional shift and turn to move the tune in unexpected directions. "Smackwater Jack" epitomizes thisa solo piano piece played with a percussive, jagged, style that gives the tune an edge missing from its original incarnation.
Tobin's voice is exceptionalstrong, soulful and capable of delivering slow ballads like "So Far Away" and up-tempo tunes such as "I Feel the Earth Move" with equal skill. Her performance of "You've Got a Friend" is stunninga strong vocal, but with small inflections and shifts in emphasis that reinvigorate the tune and invest the lyric with a genuine emotional resonance. Piano and voice come together most effectively on "So Far Away"Noble keeps it simple, with soft, rich chords that leave plenty of space for Tobin's voice before moving into a delightfully atmospheric solo. A Tobin original, "Closing Time"written specially for the albumis the final track. It's a delicate, slightly mysterious, ballad on which Noble's percussive piano sits perfectly with Tobin's vocal interpretation.
Comparisons with the original Tapestry will inherently figure largely in discussions about Tapestry Unravelled, but in many ways do this current recording a disservice. Tobin and Noble have created an extremely affecting collection of beautifully-crafted songs about love and life that stands on its own as a potential classic.
Track Listing
Beautiful; You've Got A Friend; It's Too Late; Home Again; So Far Away; I Feel The Earth Move; Way Over Yonder; Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow; Smackwater Jack; (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman; Tapestry; Closing Time.
Personnel
Christine Tobin
vocalsChristine Tobin: voice; Liam Noble: piano.
Album information
Title: Tapestry Unravelled | Year Released: 2010 | Record Label: Trail Belle
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