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During the season of December, with new music releases and constant repetition of holiday music, it can feel like most songs become unappealing background noise. However, Thomas Bartlett’s Standards offers a different experience with its solo piano versions of familiar jazz and old-fashioned tunes. The simplicity and peacefulness of these songs may serve as a remedy for the dark and emotional nights, rather than accompanying long hours spent at the shopping mall.
The Bartlett, also known as Doveman, has gained recognition as a piano player for famous musicians. Collaborating with artists such as Taylor Swift, Sufjan Stevens, and St Vincent, he is currently working on a Broadway adaptation of The Great Gatsby with Florence Welch. While working with Bebel Gilberto on an album of her father’s music, Bartlett began playing old classics like Smoke Gets In Your Eyes for his own enjoyment. According to PR materials, he was watching the BBC’s Line of Duty at the time. The purpose was to separate his fingers from his mind. Gradually, his fingers started bringing back memories of his grandmother’s favorite songs, including Irving Berlin’s often sentimental How Deep Is the Ocean. This album also includes unexpected songs like the bossa nova track Black Orpheus, which are stripped down to their essential elements. The recordings are raw and unpolished, captured in one take, and have a hauntingly familiar feel without being overly sentimental.
Source: theguardian.com
