“Jazz connected with my soul—here is where art resides,” Diana told us when we interviewed her for the magazine recently. The feature is linked here. 

We are now turning towards a review of the album.

The press release describes this as a departure from Diana Panton’s more recent albums. “Soft Winds and Roses” features modern classics composed from the 1960s onwards, including songs by Lennon and McCartney, Burt Bacharach, Gordon Lightfoot, Don McLean, Ron Sexsmith, Leonard Cohen, Randy Newman, Joni Mitchell, and more. Diana’s signature sound, which Jazz Times called “arrestingly beautiful,” makes every song her own, and the feather-light intimacy of each track is so direct that the lyrics feel like a secret passed between Diana and her listener. The album’s arc follows a relationship, beginning shyly with hard-to-declare feelings, continuing through a deeply emotional connection, and finally separating with lingering traces of love. 

Why songs from the ‘60s onward?  Diana Panton explains, “Through the years, I have recorded several compilations for the Asian market, and I was often asked to include a bonus track that was a bit more contemporary and well-known in that market than some of my more obscure song choices. Fast forward to the present: I decided to assemble a selection of modern standards composed from the 1960s onward. It was a fun challenge to bring our trio’s distinctive sound to these modern classics, mixing well-known songs like Elton John’s ‘This is Your Song’ alongside some new jazz standards, such as Fred Hersch’s ‘A Wish (Valentine).'”

On soft winds and roses, Diana Panton’s evocative vocals are backed by the artistry of two long-time musical colleagues— both former members of George Shearing’s ensemble—who have made significant contributions to the beauty and passion of Diana’s previous albums: pianist/vibraphonist/bassist/arranger Don Thompson (Officer of the Order of Canada) and guitarist Reg Schwager (Member of the Order of Canada). The minimalist instrumentation on soft winds and roses enhances the raw emotion of Diana’s vocals. Thompson plays as though he is in conversation with Diana, hanging on her every word, sensing her every breath, and responding in kind. Schwager dazzles with shimmering runs, yet is always understated, playing in full support of the lyric.

My review:                                                             

“Your Song” (Elton John, Bernard Taupin) is such a classic track, one that is almost at risk of over familiarity. It opens the album and instantly transports you into the wonderful world inhabited by Diana. We have debated recently whether jazz and rock are offering anything new in response to a critical national piece over here in the UK. To be honest, I don’t care! I don’t need new; I just need quality and this is a lovely rendition. 

“They Long To Be Close To You” (Burt Bacharach, Hal David). I love the music of Burt Bacharach and always have since it was played in my family home. I am listening to this album while my partner sits on the sofa chatting to family and my son plays on his X-Box. And there is me, headphones on, in my own world, relaxed.

“Secret Heart” (Ron Eldon Sexsmith). A note to the piano playing of Don Thompson, which hits the mood nicely throughout the album. This is a sleepy little number, but it hits those notes perfectly.        

“Sweet Happy Life / Samba de Orfeu” (Luiz Bonfa, Norman Gimbel, Antonio Maria). This one picks up a little dance groove. I would imagine this in an intimate setting while the listeners sit back and enjoy the night. It belongs in one of those old jazz cafes; President Harding is sipping a whisky; prohibition be damned, and cigar smoke drifts up into the stars.

“A Wish (Valentine)” (Fred Hersch, Norma Winstone)  This slows things down, allowing the piano to walk us through a lazy autumn Sunday. The vocals remain intimate and crystal clear, as if I have the vocalist here with me in my room.                   

“How Deep Is Your Love?” (Barry Gibb, Maurice Gibb, Robin Gibb)   

We did ask Diana about this one directly, as it was a favourite that we picked out. She told us that “this song was a special request for a Taiwanese release.  We approached it as we do all our renditions.  I sang it through for Don; we picked a key and then he wrote an arrangement (he’s pretty gifted at this, by the way).  Without rehearsal, Reg joined us in the studio and what you hear is what you get.  We were really happy with how this one turned out.  It is one of our favourites too.” 

It’s my favourite on the album; very enjoyable indeed!

“Pussywillows Cat-Tails” (Gordon Lightfoot) This old classic has a folk style within it and takes me into a distant mediaeval world. Diana’s voice is bridging then and now and her adaptation of the song is entirely reverential.     

“Here, There and Everywhere” (John Lennon, Paul McCartney) reworks the Beatles classic. I have heard Diana visit The Beatles before with her cover of “Yesterday” on her “Blue” album. This version remains true to the spirit of the original and is both sentimental and touching. The little guitar break from Reg Schwager is rather touching.

“You and I” (Voce e Eu) (Norman Gimbel, Vinicius de Moraes, Carlos Lyra)  is a busy little song, full of hustle and bustle, reminiscent of ‘Breakfast at Tiffany.”     

“And I Love You So” (Don McLean) is another one of those songs that makes the world go round. Diana has slowed it a little from the original. As I listened, I sipped my cup of tea and slipped into the melody.                         

“Until It’s Time for You to Go” (Buffy Sainte-Marie) was a gentle song; it was a fine album number but I probably connected with it a bit less than some of the others.

“Hey, That’s No Way to Say Goodbye.” (Leonard Cohen) starts “a cappella” before a simple piano accompaniment joins in. If you want to know how good a voice Diana has, this one for sure shows.        

“Snow (Randy Newman)” is one of the shortest numbers on the album, a gentle little melody and a touch of winter in the air.

“Both Sides Now” (Joni Mitchell) ponders the clouds from both sides, as John lennon once said, ‘just watching the wheels go round.’ It closes the album on a whimsical note, a close to the fairy tale that love can be.

In summary, this is an album of love in all its forms. It’s also an album of positivity that is sent from Diana Panton to us, and in these troubled times we need a lot more love to stop us breaking down. I’ll return to this album when the worries of the day get on top of me; it belongs to a simpler and happier time.

Standout tracks: “How Deep is Your Love,” “Pussywillows Cat-Tails,” and “They Long To Be Close To You.”

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You can stream her music from here, and let us just give a nod to those 83k + numbers on Spotify now and rising. 

Artist website here

Diana Panton, vocals, producer

Reg Schwager, guitar

Don Thompson: piano, vibes, bass, arranger

Chad Irschick, engineer, Inception Sound

Anna-Louise Burgess