Ian Shaw - Somewhere Towards Love is a release that provides a framework for this jazz crooner to show his passion and energy using his gifted baritone/tenor voice that he complements seamlessly with his piano work.

Ian Shaw - Somewhere Towards Love                 

Ian Shaw - Somewhere Towards Love: Close as pages in a book; Somewhere towards love; Company; If love were all; Into my arms; Scars; You must believe in spring; Here's to life; Who can I turn to; Just having fun; Memories of you; Watching the white wheat [Begeilio'r gwenith gwyn]     

Personnel: Ian Shaw: Vocals, Piano     

Ian Shaw - Somewhere Towards Love was recorded and produced by Neil Richardson and released on the Splash Point Records label. Splash Point Records has produced some amazing releases that revolve around the simplicity of the musician and their instrument, or  in some cases one accompaniment that produces a powerful recording,  (Read the Music Scene section on - Liane Carroll and Brian Kellock Live at the Lampie (Brain on piano, Liane on vocals); Liane Carroll - Slow Down (Liane on vocals and piano, Ian Shaw on piano); Liane Carroll - Billy No Mates (Liane on vocals and piano)). Splash Point Records adds to their stellar portfolio with Ian Shaw - Somewhere Towards Love that draws on the singular energy and passion of Ian's expressive vocals and his impassioned piano work.

A musician with over 10 albums to his name, and having performed all over the world in groups, big band and orchestral formats, he is a jazz crooner who has received the "Best Jazz Vocalist" award from the BBC Jazz Awards in 2004 and 2007, and it was a pleasant surprise to hear Ian had released the solo recording - Somewhere Towards Love. He did not let his audience down on the release; it contains all of the elements that we associate with Ian Shaw, his ability to improvise his baritone/tenor vocals to complement his piano work, with the addition of his ability to express his inner feelings throughout these poignant ballads.

The release opens with the track Close as pages in a book (Sigmund Romberg/Dorothy Fields) that many may remember sung by another famous crooner, Bing Crosby, and if you recall how touching that this song can be you will not be disappointed by Ian's rendition. The title track Somewhere towards love, written by Ian, shows that Ian has not only captured the finer points of rendering a song from the legends of jazz, but when he puts his stamp on his own song it is destined to become a standard.

The release is full of memorable covers, but the track Company (Rickie Lee Jones/Alfred Johnson) stands out as it projects the heart wrenching feeling when a loved one passes on, but you still feel their existence, and when he sings "Conversations to share, When there's no one there, I'll imagine what you'd say" he draws you into his innermost feelings. The track You must believe in spring (Michel Legrand/Alan & Marilyn Bergman) is brilliantly covered with the timely inflections and phrasing that complements the touching lyrics "When lonely feelings chill the meadows of your mind, Just think if Winter comes, Can Spring be far behind?"   

Ian closes the release with an acoustic rendition of the Welsh Traditional track Watching the white wheat (Begeilio'r gwenith gwyn). Though there are no vocals, his piano work on this song from his home country is inspired and moving.       

Websites where you can procure Ian Shaw - Somewhere Towards Love are Amazon, Rhapsody, Splash Point Records, 7Digital, Tower Records, and iTunes.   

©December 2009. Luxury Experience. www.LuxuryExperience.com. All rights reserved.