Love is Like a Violin, where Simon and Saoko Blendis (violin and piano) offer a winning selection of his staple repertoire, equipped with Jaffa’s own violin and music library. Juicy gypsy showpieces, tender songs by Stephen Foster, titbits you recognise but can’t name: they’re all here, delivered with plenty of panache and honest feeling by two skilful musicians who like Jaffa himself fully demonstrate the value of taking light music seriously.
The Times
With a finely judged recording and Simon Blendis’ own booklet notes, this is a charming and packed recital that offers a rich variety of lighter pleasures in arrangements that have been subjected to some necessary editorial decision-making. The two performers evoke the aura of past times effectively not through imitation or assumed period techniques – no glutinous Palm Court slides here, not that Jaffa perpetuated those – but rather through a serious, respectful but humorous and witty look at Jaffa’s repertoire.
MusicWeb International