Barb Jungr - Walking in the Sun - HMV Choice

Although Stockport-raised Barb Jungr began her career on London's alternative comedy circuit, over the last ten years she's carved out a niche as a singer that has turned into a veritable treasure trove. Her powerful emotional voice has an ability to capture and enslave a diverse range of musical styles from jazz to pop and, on critically received albums like 2002's "Every Grain of Sand" and her last outing "Love Me Tender" from 2005, she successfully covered the work of icons like Bob Dylan and Elvis Presley.

On "Walking in the Sun", Jungr takes it all back home to wail out a choice selection of blues and gospel. As always, her taste is excellent with Bo Diddley's Who Do You Love stripped back to an acoustic gem, while Jimmy Cliff's Many Rivers to Cross builds from a small murmur to a choir-backed and hand-clapping finale.

On a more contemporary tack, Mark Cohn's Walking in Memphis is not only very well-cooked but is followed by the organ-fuelled church wail of Walking in the Sun which works perfectly. Saying that, it's the self-penned Beautiful Life which is the outstanding track on this album, boiling down the gospel influences into four minutes of perfection that will probably be rotated to death on Jazz FM.

Along with versions of Dylan's Blind Willie McTell and an awesome Trouble in Mind, this is another essential album from an artist not afraid to search, explore, stretch and expand the boundaries of her musical comfort zone.