By Jackson Sinnenberg | Published June 2019
On All I Can Do, Polly Gibbons’ third album for Resonance, the British singer and revivalist continues mining the well-worn grooves of classic blues, jazz and soul to forge her own brand of classicism. She flavors many of the numbers here with vocal runs and little syllabic flairs that suggest a long study of the dramatic techniques utilized by Sarah Vaughan, Patti Austin and Tina Turner. Sometimes, it’s overused, sometimes it’s just right.
Gibbons is backed by a steady band with even steadier arrangements, provided by pianists Tamir Hendelman and James Pearson. There’s the electrified, proto-slow jam of “Everything Must Change,” the songbook balladry of “This Is Always,” and Gibbons is firing on all cylinders for the slow-driving “Some Of My Best Friends Are The Blues.” Elsewhere, she works with Pearson to transmute Cole Porter’s “Anything Goes” into a riotous gospel-soul stomper.
Gibbons is a good singer and has the potential to be a good artist, too. Her command of tradition is strong; so, let’s see what happens if she looks beyond the standards to new musical horizons.
All I Can Do: Permit Me To Introduce You To Yourself; Good Hands Tonight; Beautiful Things; If You Had The Chance; Some Of My Best Friends Are The Blues; Anything Goes; This Is Always; All I Can Do; Everything Must Change; I’m Just A Lucky So And So; Nothing Compares To You; Sugar In My Bowl. (67:58)
Personnel: Polly Gibbons, vocals; Tamir Hendelman, James Pearson, piano; Shedrick Mitchell, Hammond organ; Paul Bollenback, guitar; Richie Goods, bass; Mark McLean, drums.
