Norma Winstone: A Timeless Place

This 1990 recording unites the outstanding vocal talents of Norma Winstone MBE with the NDR Radio Orchestra. Now known as NDR RADIOPHILHARMONIE, the distinguished German radio symphony orchestra, invited Winstone to participate in a broadcast session. In turn, she enlisted pianist and arranger Steve Gray, with whom she had previously collaborated on BBC projects.

Across a career spanning more than five decades, Winstone has earned international acclaim as both a singer and lyricist. Equally celebrated for her wordless improvisations, her lyrics and her deeply expressive interpretations of standards, she occupies a unique place in British jazz. In the late 1970s, she joined pianist (and former husband) John Taylor and trumpeter Kenny Wheeler to form the influential trio Azimuth, recording three albums for ECM. Further recognition followed with Somewhere Called Home (ECM, 1987), alongside numerous awards recognizing her as one of jazz's leading vocalists.

The NDR Radiophilharmonie traces its origins to the 1920s. Established initially to provide music for radio broadcasts, it soon broadened its remit to encompass a diverse repertoire, from Baroque and early music to film scores and jazz collaborations. Under producer Kurt Giese, the orchestra worked with artists including Chet Baker, Joe Pass and, on this occasion, Winstone.

Arranger Gray (1944 -2008) was a British pianist, composer and arranger, perhaps best known to wider audiences for his work with the instrumental rock band Sky. Here, he not only provides the album's elegant arrangements but also conducts the orchestra and performs the piano parts. His ensemble is enhanced by jazz bassist Gunter Lenz and drummer Aage Tanggaard, whose contributions add warmth and subtle punch.

Jimmy Rowles' well-known composition "The Peacocks" has been covered by many artists, notably Bill Evans on You Must Believe in Spring (Warner Bros. Records, 1981); the tune also featured in Bertrand Tavernier's 1986 film 'Round Midnight. Winstone added her evocative lyrics to the tune, which was eventually re-titled "A Timeless Place." The track makes a magnificent opening to the album; her voice glides over sympathetic orchestration, while Gray's arranging eye for detail reveals itself in an aural portrayal of a peacock spreading its fan at the close.

Winstone, Gray and the superb radio band then turn to "I Love You Porgy," which develops from an intimate voice and piano setting to swelling strings in another superb arrangement. The song selection also includes elegant interpretations of classics such as "Wait 'Til You See Him" and a timeless take on Billy Strayhorn's "A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing."

Several more contemporary compositions feature Winstone's lyrics. Ralph Towner's "The Glide" is bright and lightly swinging, combining wordless improvised vocals and brief instrumental cameos with Gray contributing an accomplished piano solo. The orchestra's mournful horns come to the fore on Kenny Wheeler's "Sea Lady" and Steve Swallow's "Ladies In Mercedes" features swirling strings, rumbling brass and intriguing lyrics.

The album closes with Burton Lane and Alan Jay Lerner's lush ballad "Too Late Now." Accompanied only by the piano trio, Winstone's sensitive vocals effortlessly navigate the melody's wide intervals. Opportunities to hear Winstone in a full orchestral setting are quite rare, making this treasure from the German radio archives all the more pleasurable.