Songman charts the recorded life of one of the most singular and striking talents this country has produced, Jimmy Little.
It does so by taking one of Litte’s seminal records, a cover album, and a recorded live set and packages them into one small musical bundle.
Working with producer Brendan Gallagher, 1999’s Messenger was a showcase of Little’s affecting and haunting style.
Similar to the work Johnny Cash did with producer Rick Rubin with the American Recordings series, The Songman set features covers of Australian tracks throughout the past fifty years, including songs like “Cattle & Cane”, “Into Temptation”, Little’s own composition “Randwick Bells” and a startling bossa nova take on the seminal track by The Church, “Under The Milky Way”.
This set also features the second album of covers, Life’s What You Make It which, unfortunately at the time of its original release, got lost amid a record company takeover.
Little’s voice is right at the fore on the cover record that casts its net internationally, with tracks like The Beach Boys’“In My Room”, and a sublime reading of U2’s “One”.
Also part of this trilogy is a live CD, recorded at the Sydney Opera House in 2001, which really captures the warmth and the man’s aura and charisma beautifully.
To round off this wonderful, almost biographical set that highlights the late career resurgence Little experienced, are outtakes left off Messenger, such as the gorgeous take on the classic “Wide Open Road”.
For those that love their music at its most intelligent and compelling, this is an absolute must.
