David Newton - Portrait of a Woman (2007)

'Portrait of a Woman' is the new CD from pianist and composer David Newton with thirteen wonderful original compositions each representing a chapter in a love story. Newton appears alongside his new trio consisting of Andrew Cleyndert on bass and Steve Brown on drums plus guest guitarist Jim Mullen. On the tracks with string arrangements by Richard Niles, the power of Newton's music is suddenly made more apparent. Grand, sweeping symphonic melodies mixed with infectious catchy tunes over elegant and sophisticated rhythms make this a completely unique album. In the early 1990s Newton's reputation as an exquisite accompanist for a singer, spread rather rapidly and by 1995 he was regularly working with Carol Kidd, Marion Montgomery, Tina May, Annie Ross, Claire Martin and of course Stacey Kent, with whom he spent the next ten years recording and travelling all over the world. At the same time, Newton was composing music which he recorded on his own CDs as well as writing specifically for Martin Taylor, Alan Barnes, Tina May and Claire Martin. In 2003, Bright New Day Records was born and soon saw the release of two trio albums by Newton, 'Pacific Heights' and then 'Inspired'. 'Portrait of a Woman' is the label's latest release. Personnel: David Newton (piano, keyboards), Andrew Cleyndert (double bass), Steve Brown (drums), Jim Mullen (guitar), The London Orchestra

13 beautifully crafted piano pieces...the rhythms are sharp and trim, the improvisation incisive and the melodies memorable.~The Observer, (Dave Gelly), December 9, 2007

Newton's most ambitious album so far has a lot going for it and a lot happening in the details.~Jazzwise, (Brian Priestley), February 2008