This wonderful CD took its inspiration (and running order) from the marvellous Billy Holiday recording Lady in Satin. This suberbly engineered CD recreates the Rudy van Gelder sessions and it's a regular feature on Jazz FM's Dinner Jazz. Bobby Wellins - tenor saxophone, Colin Purbrook - piano, Dave Green - bass, Clark Tracey - drums "A masterful display of controlled sensitivity from one of the most original voices in European Jazz" The Sunday Times Like much of jazz the interpretation of the song often brings much more to the music than was there, note John Coltrane's treatment of My Favourite Things. In this case, however, there is so much weight of expectation covering such an iconic album in total. It is a tribute to Wellins and his band that they pull this off so brilliantly. Wellins tone and phrasing have always dripped with raw emotion, note his playing on Stan Tracey's Under Milkwood, and he is clearly playing to his stregths here. This is a saxophonist who is recognised amougst his peers as a brilliant player and interpreter of songs; he deserves a wider recognition as a national musical treasure. There is aple evidence for this on this album alone. A customer review

This is the debut CD of singer Trudy Kerr. It's an eclectic mix of tunes displaying Trudy's musical style at that early stage of her career. With standards such as Takin a Chance on Love, the title track is a beautiful Blossom Dearie tune, to a track from Aussie rock great John Farnham. The band on the outing are Phil Peskett - piano, Andy Hamill - bass, Mark Fletcher - drums and Dave O'Higgins - sax. ….TRUDY KERR is outstanding - imaginative but respectful to the original song, with excellent phrasing and diction and a smile in her voice. DAVE GELLY THE OBSERVER DECEMBER 97 …. Her voice is strong, persuasive and peppy, particularly on the bluesier material. Those who have enjoyed her sparky performances at Ronnie Scott's and elsewhere will find much to enjoy here. CHRIS PARKER JAZZWISE MAGAZINE OCTOBER 97 A very good debut album by a young, London-based Australian singer. … she has a mature sound and a knowing way with a lyric. Her choice of material is always interesting blending standards with good quality contemporary songs and bringing to them all originality of thought and interpretation. She has a fine, understated sense of swing and where she does take a few liberties with melodic lines it is always with taste and flair. I have no hesitation in recommending this album and also urge readers to keep an eye and ear out for this young singer whose future must be extremely promising. BRUCE CROWTHER JAZZ JOURNAL DECEMBER 97 Sweet Surprise is just one of a number of fine vocal collections. This is a collection of superior songs which really suit Trudy's warm, soft-edged voice, and an excellent band too. PETER MARTIN JAZZ UK DECEMBER 97 ... the result is an album of a dozen superb performances of very varied material. She seems to handle any kind of song with conviction, even at the two extremes of jazz singing - the subtle, tender self-communing of Billie Holiday, or the earthy declamatory style of soul or gospel singers such as Aretha Franklin. The title track by Blossum Dearie and Jim Council, Kerr delivers with sweet intimacy and urgency, breathing life into the tricky lyrics. Yet the very next piece, I'VE GOT TO BE ME, is a witty soul song given a raunchy, passionate treatment with all the vocal inflections of that tradition. Kerr's diction is excellent and cleverly varied to suit her material, and her trio are superlative accompanists… IAN CARR BBC MUSIC MAGAZINE JANUARY 98