YOUR glittering older brother, Rufus, has already bagged Judy Garland in that attention-grabbing way he has, so which diva should you resurrect? For Martha Wainwright the answer is simple, thanks to a professed life-long fascination with Edith Piaf.
The language is no problem, because Martha grew up speaking French at school in Montreal, and the voice is no difficulty either, for she possesses the family lungs. Recorded over three nights at Dixon Place Theatre, New York, this live album is both a marvel and an oddity – marvellous because Martha puts her heart into what is clearly a treasured pet project; yet odd, too, because with 15 sometimes over-heated tracks, it is not always the easiest listen.
La Foule and C’Est Toujours La Meme Histoire stand out in a musically and vocally assured album, but this remains one of those exercises that is likely to be admired more than it is actually listened to.
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