''First Songs'', initially credited to "Gwyn and Will", is the debut album of British singer-songwriter

Gwyneth Herbert Gwyneth Herbert (born 26 August 1981) is a British singer-songwriter, composer, multi-instrumentalist and record producer. Initially known for her interpretation of jazz and swing standards, she is now established as a writer of original compo ...

and composer and acoustic guitarist Will Rutter. Comprising both original songs and

standards Standard may refer to: Symbols * Colours, standards and guidons, kinds of military signs * Standard (emblem), a type of a large symbol or emblem used for identification Norms, conventions or requirements * Standard (metrology), an object t ...

, it was launched at London's

Pizza Express Jazz Club PizzaExpress Jazz Club is a jazz club in London, England. Based in Dean Street in Soho, it is situated in the basement of a PizzaExpress restaurant, and was opened by company founder Peter Boizot in 1969. It has played host to Norah Jones, Amy ...

in September 2003. The Herbert/Rutter song "Sweet Insomnia" featured guest vocals from

Jamie Cullum Jamie Cullum (born 20 August 1979) is an English jazz-pop singer, songwriter and radio presenter. Although primarily a vocalist and pianist, he also accompanies himself on other instruments, including guitar and drums. He has recorded nine st ...

Reception

Described by

BBC Music BBC Music is responsible for the music played across the BBC. The current director of music is Bob Shennan, who is also the controller of BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 6 Music, and the BBC Asian Network. Officially it is a part of the BBC's Radio ...

as a "lovingly crafted debut", the album received a significant amount of radio airplay on Jazz FM and

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 ...

, and was promoted by

Michael Parkinson Sir Michael Parkinson (born 28 March 1935) is an English broadcaster, journalist and author. He presented his television talk show '' Parkinson'' from 1971 to 1982 and from 1998 to 2007, as well as other talk shows and programmes both in the U ...

. Writing in ''

The Sunday Times ''The Sunday Times'' is a British newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News UK, wh ...

'', reviewer Clive Davis said: "If Gwyneth Herbert is not a star before long, I will eat my CD player. The sultry young singer’s partnership with guitarist Will Rutter has caused a stir on London's club circuit, and their debut album — artfully produced and arranged by vocalist Ian Shaw — lives up to that promise, blending pop and jazz values".

Track listing

Personnel

* Gwyneth Herbert – vocals * Will Rutter – guitar * Mark Hodgson – bass * Tom Mason – bass * Andy Nice – cello * Josefina Cupido – drums and percussion * Ben Godfrey – trumpet *

Guy Barker Guy Jeffrey Barker, (born 26 December 1957) is an English jazz trumpeter and composer. Early life Barker was born in Chiswick, London, the son of an actress and a stuntman. He started playing the trumpet at the age of twelve, and within a year ...

– trumpet *

– vocals * Ian Shaw – keyboards and percussion

Production

The album was produced by Ian Shaw, who arranged all the songs (except "No Other Love", which was arranged by Will Rutter).Album sleeve notes It was recorded by Joe Leach at the Cowshed Recording Studio, London between June and September 2003.

References

External links

Gwyneth Herbert: official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:First Songs 2003 debut albums Gwyneth Herbert albums Albums produced by Ian Shaw