Arthur Blanch Gems & A Few Jewels Vol 3

Price: $29.95

We’ve been moving slowly but surely through the 50 year catalogue of Arthur Blanch’s work on the Gems & Jewels series, this being the third volume. Once again, we get a full programme of 22 songs available at a mid-price range. On volume Three we have five songs from daughter Jewel Blanch, including a couple of my favourites, the Golden Guitar female vocal winners from 1982 and 1983, ‘I Can Love You’ and ‘Send All The Ghosts Away’. There’s three brand new recordings from producer Stuie French including Arthur’s’ adaptation of Dorothea MacKellar’s ‘My Country’ and the story of the New England bushranger, Thunderbolt, in a song called ‘Australia’s Robin Hood’. The remaining tracks are just plain nice listening. Arthur’s easy to take vocal style is always interesting and varied, never just singing by numbers, well produced, often with the best that Nashville had to offer. It’s a fine collection of one of Australia’s most consistently good vocalists. – Ron CapNews June 2003