Wilma Thalen - violin | Bert van den Brink - piano | Hein van de Geyn - bass

On 'Sophisticated Lady' Thalen plays jazz standards in their most vulnerable form, only accompanied by pianist Bert van den Brink and Hein van de Geyn on double bass. Her violin mainly sticks with the original melody and does not immediately flee towards the usual improvisation. In a frank and honest fashion Thalen wants to make these songs heard as they are. This seems cushy and in a first hearing, the music may sound quite accessable. But apart from the fact that nowadays it isn't common to play mainly the melody, the plainnes of this approach appears to be fairly misleading. With this very instrument and without the veiling improvisation embellishment, Thalen pointblank reaches the soul and passion of these standards. Listening to her album therefore can be just rather pleasant, but with some concentration also very confronting and emotionally moving. Together with the pure and lifelike recording technique, it is this musical stratification that makes the album a typical Turtle Records production.