Until receiving this album for review I was unaware of singer and pianist Jeremy Sassoon, despite the fact that he has been performing some fifteen years and is well regarded as a soloist and band leader. My first thought on reading the CD sleeve was “what a great selection of songs!”; my second was, “thank goodness, nothing from the Great American Songbook”. The other good thing about these song choices is that they all tell well written stories – and I much admire lyrics that tell a good story.
I’ve often wondered why people connect so strongly with these particular songs – is it because they see their own experiences in them, or perhaps it’s because I am reflecting my own. Perhaps I express vulnerability authentically because I’ve been there. Years ago, I left a medical career in hospital psychiatry to make music, and I’ve been searching for my identity in the music world ever since. This album feels deeply connected to that journey. Each track tells the story of a real person; my role was to listen, connect, and reinterpret their experience. I realised that’s exactly what I used to do in my previous job. Maybe these two worlds aren’t so different after all. If so, I’ve come full circle and Older and Wiser means far more to me than I expected.
Jeremy Sassoon Older and Wiser press pack, 2026
Jon Cleary wrote Frenchmen Street Blues for a friend’s funeral and Jeremy, along with Chris Rabbitts and Pat Illingworth, deliver it in a slow, elegant, laid-back style that eases the listener gently into Older And Wiser. The use of the string section, provided by Realstrings, on Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood is very effective and a delight to listen to. The piano solo section is beautifully played, with string section backing, and the way it segues into Mike Oldfield’s Tubular Bells is a joy – a very strong contender for outstanding track of the album.
Stop This Train picks up the tempo but it is the lyrics that grab the attention. Pat Illingworth does a good job of portraying the train of time constantly moving forward, a train that cannot be stopped despite the fears expressed in the words so well phrased by Jeremy Sassoon. There is much to be admired in City Home: the use of the Hammond Organ by Ross Stanley; the Mose Allison style delivery of Jeremy both vocally and pianistically; and the sparse drumming of Pat Illingworth.
Wondering what your unborn child might turn out to be like is probably a question most expectant parents consider and lyricist Marc Cohen captures those questions so eloquently in The Things We’ve Handed Down. Jeremy delivers with just the right blend of wonder, concern, and recognition of the fact that these questions have always been asked and will always be asked by parents to be. This the second album I have recently reviewed that features Janis Ians’ Just Seventeen and this is a fine interpretation of that song. Steve Parry’s flugehorn has a rich, warm tone that suits the number well.
For me, the album’s standout track is Lennon and McCartney’s Let It Be. There have been, and there will be, many covers of this song but Jeremy’s phrasing on this number is, for me, exceptional. Ross Stanley on Hammond Organ and Pat Levett on harmonica add tonal colour that stands out. A great example of breathing new life into an old classic.
Don’t Let Me Be Lonely Tonight by James Taylor is another terrific storyteller’s number and Jeremy, as with all the tracks on this album, places the lyrics front and centre supported by empathic piano lines and subtle rhythms. Old and Wise rounds up this very good album. This ninth, and final, track opens with the string section introducing the song’s melody. The words are those of an older man approaching death, who addresses those he knew with warmth and gratitude, leaving no room bitterness. As someone who is probably in the latter half of life I felt a genuine connection to this number lyrically, but I also loved the string section taking us into a drum break before a final rousing guitar solo from Mike Walker – a rousing finale before quietly bowing out.
I have reviewed three vocal albums recently and this one, like the other two, will stay on my music playlist long after this review has been posted. Jeremy Sassoon is a fine interpreter of other people’s words and music but still manages to make each song very much his own. I can very comfortably recommend Older And Wiser to anyone who enjoys well structured, well played, and well sung songs: a music lovers album from an artist who understands the art of good storytelling.
Tracklist: 01 – Frenchman Street Blues; 02 – Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood (2026); 03 – Stop This Train; 04 – City Home; 05 – The Things We’ve Handed Down; 06 – At Seventeen; 07 – Let It Be; 08 – Don’t Let Me Be Lonely Tonight; 09 – Old And Wise.
Musicians: Jeremy Sasson (piano & vocals), Chris Rabbitts (bass), Pat Illingworth (drums) Mike Walker (guitar – track 9), Pat Levett (harmonica – track 7), Ross Stanley (Hammond organ – tracks 4 & 7), Steve Parry (flugelhorn – track 6), Harry Greens (nylon guitar – track 6), Natalie Williams & Brendan Reilly (backing vocals – track 6).
String section (tracks 2 & 9) by Realstrings: Pete Whitfield (arrangements, violin & viola), Sarah Brandwood-Spencer & Paulette Bayley (violin), Nick Trygstad & Simon Turner (cello), Amina Hussein (flute).
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