Trevor Nelson - 27/05/2009

To celebrate fifty years of Island Records, Trevor Nelson presents the best of the label's soulful and funky artists, past and present. Including tracks from Grace Jones, Womack & Womack, Mary J Blige and an Album Of The Week from Amy Winehouse. Unbelievably Amy Winehouse has only ever released two albums, despite her ubiquity in the tabloids, but Back To Black retains the same insouciance and playfulness that made her sound so special when she debuted. Although the 2006 album does see her deserting jazz, and wholly embracing contemporary R&B, all the best parts of her musical character emerge intact, and actually, are all the better for the transformation from jazz vocalist to soul siren. As before, Winehouse wrote all of the songs from experience, most of which involve the occasionally riotous and often bittersweet vagaries of love.