''Let There Be Love'' is

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

vocalist Gary Williams's sixth album, recorded at the Caxton Theatre,

Grimsby Grimsby or Great Grimsby is a port town and the administrative centre of North East Lincolnshire, Lincolnshire, England. Grimsby adjoins the town of Cleethorpes directly to the south-east forming a conurbation. Grimsby is north-east of Linco ...

, on 15 May 2004, and released in 2011. It is a Nat King Cole

tribute album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records coll ...

, recorded with the musicians James Pearson (resident pianist at

Ronnie Scott's Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club is a jazz club that has operated in Soho, London, since 1959. History The club opened on 30 October 1959 in a basement at 39 Gerrard Street in London's Soho district. It was set up and managed by musicians Ronnie Sco ...

), Jeremy Brown (double bass) and Matthew Skelton (drums and percussion), and arranged by Andrew Cottee. Academy Award winner Don Black provided the sleeve notes. Williams had previously performed Nat Cole's most famous songs with John Wilson and various concert orchestras. The creation of the recording with the trio of musicians mentioned above is described by Williams himself: "At a show in

, the sound engineer had the foresight to make an archive recording of the show, never intended for release, which I found by accident just a few months ago." The album was released in Japan with a different cover.

Critical reception

The release of the album was hailed by critics and reviewers. Russell Davies of

BBC Radio 2 BBC Radio 2 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It is the most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 15 million weekly listeners. Since launching in 1967, the station broadcasts a wide range of content. ...

commented: "As these are all live performances, the acoustic isn’t studio-sharp but pleasant and atmospheric. Gary sounds on great form – hear him especially on ‘Nature Boy’, a testing piece for any singer – and pianist James Pearson & his Trio are perfect accompanists throughout." Clive Fuller of In Tune said: "I have always found Gary’s voice to have excellent clarity and here again he sings and phrases songs that you immediately associate with Nat King Cole but given the Gary Williams treatment. In modern day terms Gary is one of the few real song stylists never imitating or mimicking but rather giving his own interpretation of a well loved song." David Ades of Journey into Melody commented: "Gary sings in the kind of relaxed and confident manner that can only be achieved by a performer with plenty of experience and bucketfuls of talent. Both Gary and Andrew have deservedly enjoyed considerable success in their careers since 2004, and long may they both continue to regale us with top quality popular music."David Ades, Journey into Melody, 10 June 2011

Track listing

References

External links

Official Gary Williams web site: Let There Be Love
{{Authority control 2011 live albums Gary Williams (singer) albums Nat King Cole tribute albums