Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *

There are those who are quick to judge without considering exactly what it is that makes an artist tick. The spark of idea, the small germ of a notion that takes root and multiplies until it cannot be contained, a concept that takes over every waking moment; all are seen to some as just an impulse in which to suggest that an artist and their work is of less value to society than almost anyone else, that what they do is too easy, perhaps a cop-out from doing something else. Nothing in this world is further from the truth and for Jez Wing’s Cousin Jac, he is to be believed with every fibre of his being.

Listening to Believe Me To Remain, the fan of good quality piano will be heartened by Jez Wing’s flourishing depth of making the keys seem alive with untold possibility, the aspiring poet will blight the day with a black mood as they realise that all they have tried to achieve is but a mark on a piece of paper, a scrawl in the poetic minefield, for Jez Wing has got that covered in abundance.

At all times Believe Me to Remain maintains the nod to lively artistic freedom, it highlights the passion and faith that an artist must have in their work and the overpowering sincerity that guides the listener through the honesty of thought that resides deep and embedded, forever held tight against those that would spirit it away as if made of Gold, deep within Jez Wing’s musical heart.

Songs such as Lightning and Thunder, No Other Love, Atlanta, Waterwitch and Kitty Armstrong place the musician’s thoughts on the line, they are exposed for all to see and tell their own tale of the relationship between imagery and musical interpretation. With contributions from the likes of Will Tong, Hugo Harrison, Michael Metcalfe, Abbey Stanley, the exceptional Simon Gelling and the very talented Laura McKinly, expression is nourished and set free to roam wherever it likes.

There will always be many that capture the heart and the moment, there will always be those that beat the door down for any life to be accepted, Jez Wing, whether on his own or as part of the tremendous Cousin Jac, is one that will always be in the front line, taking the flack so others may listen in solitude and tranquillity. For that alone, Jez Wing deserves respect and earnest appreciation for what he has achieved on Believe Me To Remain.

Vigorous and upstanding, Believe Me To Remain is an piece of musical art on landscaped canvas.

Ian D. Hall