IDA SAND is a Swedish songstress with a passion for jazz and soul and on her latest (fifth) long player she gives herself the opportunity to explore her love for the latter; Ida says:”Always from the heart in my opinion, soul music stands out as the genre that has the best voices on Earth… Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Donny Hathaway, Al Green…. These voices, and others, have kept millions of people spellbound for many decades – , including me!”
So, the 12 tracker that is ‘My Soul Kitchen’ sees Ms Sand offer her interpretations of several soul classics alongside a selection of her own songs written, she says, from a soul perspective. Amongst the covers are convincing versions of Al Green’s ‘Take Me To The River’, Stevie Wonder’s ‘Please Don’t Hurt My Baby’ and Ray Charles’ ‘I Believe To My Soul’ which is given a sort of B B King treatment. Oddly, given the album’s mission statement, there’s a cover of John Fogerty’s ‘Born On The Bayou’ and a take on Classics IV’s pop classic ‘Spooky’ – but dear old Dusty covered that one which probably explains why its here. Of the original songs, ‘I Have Nothing Left For You’ is a beautifully bleak ballad that will tug at your soul, especially when Nils Landgren’s trombone solo hits home.
Landgren along with rest of the Stockholm Underground (the cream of Sweden’s jazz sessioneers) offer huge support throughout and if you’re a fan of the Robin McKelle school of soul and jazz you’ll find plenty to enjoy here.
