Stranger On The Shore – ACKER BILK****

Stranger On The Shore/Brahms Lullaby/Mean To Me/Greensleeves/Take My Lips/Sentimental Journey/Nobody Knows/Is This The Blues/Cielito Lindo/Deep Purple/I Can’t Get Started/Carolina Moon

Acker Bilk’s greatest success came with his massive hit composition Stranger On The Shore, spending over a year on the British singles chart, peaking at No. 1 in the US and No. 2 in the UK, and considerably boosting sales of the accompanying album in the process. (US:3 UK:6)

“This is the album that made Acker so very popular as a performer because the title song was the theme of a BBC television serial of the time. The strings and arrangements are very good. A great release.”

“This LP swept across the world in the 1960s and its commercial success obscured the fact that Bilk's performances came from an instinctive jazz musician of great talent. The idea of setting his clarinet into a string backing seemed grotesque at the time. But, like all natural players, Bilk was impervious to what was behind him, and his glorious timing and relaxed phrasing let him play delicate and uncompromising jazz solos into one of the first of the now commonplace 'with strings' albums. The timing is at the root of the gentle improvisations here, and although Bilk makes no radical changes to his melodies, his interpretations are individual and appealing.”

“Stranger On The Shore is actually a very sad song. Although Acker performs it as an instrumental, his clarinet proves to be the ideal instrument to highlight the sadness of the song. The clarinet has never sounded better than when played by Acker.”

"A song that speaks for itself is Stranger On The Shore, a timeless track. A collection of very fine music to relax and wind down with after a hard day - just let yourself drift away.”

“Features the perennial hit of the 1960s Stranger On The Shore and many other familiar favourites. This is a nice, relaxing album when you wish to lie on the sofa quietly - perhaps with a cup of tea - or something a little stronger to wile away the evening in peace and tranquillity.”