RUTHIE HENSHALL – I’ve Loved These Days – CD review

RUTHIE HENSHALL
I’ve Loved These Days
Three Pin Productions 2013

Now see, Ruthie Henshall is proper show and biz. Proper jazz hands. After all, this is a lady who made her debut performance in the Cascade Revue at the West Cliff Theatre in Clacton-on-Sea. Fast forward a wee while, and she made her West End debut in Cats, and then went on to headline in London and on Broadway in the likes of Crazy For You, Miss Saigon, Oliver!, The Woman In White, Peggy Sue Got Married, She Loves Me, Fantine in Les Misérables, as well as taking on both leading roles in Chicago in the West End and on Broadway. At different times, naturally. This year has seen her undertaking a short, solo tour in the UK, and the arrival of this album.

It’s just Ruthie Henshall and a trio of Paul Schofield (piano), Lewis Andrews (bass/guitar) and Steve MacLachlan (drums), and it sees her performing “personally significant songs” from the world of musicals and beyond. And it really is rather good, despite kicking off with a Beatles song. However, once she takes on a bit of Barbra on ‘Don’t Rain On My Parade’, and comes out victorious then she’s pretty much won me over. Back in the pop world she turns in an excellent version of the Joni Mitchell song, ‘Both Sides Now’, although she’s no Ian McShane. But then who is.

I’d never noticed ‘Electricity’ from Billy Elliot before, but it’s a real revelation here, and she completes the trio of leading female Chicago roles with a storming version of ‘When You’re Good To Mama’. The album comes with a a 12-page booklet featuring rare photographs from her personal collection, as well as Ruthie’s commentary on what relevance the songs have to her. The low key arrangements are very well done, and she even manages to make ‘Send In The Clowns’ more unbearable than usual. In a good way.

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Ruthie sings Send In The Clowns