Where I’ve Been…Where I’m Going CD
Alice Fearn
Auburn Jam Music
5 Stars
Buy a Copy
Sometimes, just sometimes, you see a performer and you just know that he or she is the real deal, they have “IT”, that undefinable, unmeasurable something that leaves you sitting gobsmacked wanting more. That was the feeling that I had when I first saw an early performance of Shrek at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane when at a press performance one Alice Fearn went on for Princess Fiona. Let’s just say that she made a sizeable dent in that role and blew me away. I’ve managed to follow her ever since and was over the moon when it was announced she would release a solo cd. Although to my shame it took an age for me to get a copy and listen.
In the liner notes Alice indicates that the selected 10 songs are those which “originally inspired here and the songs that inspire her still”. It’ s a heady collection that has been on heavy rotation for the past month here, and before you comment yes I live my life in show tunes! I don’t think there is any moment in life whose emotional impact can’t be found in a show tune somewhere and with this album Alice has pulled no punches.
Starting out with a knockout version of Frank Wildhorn’s Big Time, highlights from this album for me include the Sorry I Asked (Kander and Ebb), Time Stops – a duet with Oliver Tompsett (from Andrew Lippa’s musical version of Big Fish), They Just Keep Moving The Line (Shaiman and Wittman’s epic belter from Smash/Bombshell), I’m Here (featuring Emma Lindars), and She Used To Be Mine – a live recording of a gorgeous song from Sara Bareilles’ musical Waitress. There are eleven numbers on this cd and not one of them is a dud!
There are several other people who contributed to this album and I’m going to take this opportunity to commend Kirk Jameson, Nick Barstow, Rachel Dawson, Graeme Blevins, Jake Waby and Nikki, Joe and Jonsi at Auburn Jam. Thank you for making this album possible.
Take a listen to Alice Fearn, listening to this album only confirms what I first suspected at that first performance of Shrek, Alice Fearn is a STAR! of this I have no doubt.
