Known for her time as vocalist in Fairport Convention and respected globally as Robert Plant's first Alison Krauss (duetting with him on Led Zeppelin's The Battle Of Evermore), Sandy Denny left a beguiling, ever-evolving body of work - Kate Bush was to namecheck her in song, and Denny's influence can be heard in generations of singer-songwriters. From the power chords that open it, 1977's Rendezvous aimed squarely at giving Denny her commercial breakthrough. It demonstrates an artist evolving. Gold Dust really underlines how Denny could be viewed as the British Joni Mitchell, and its late-night jazz funk backing (with Steve Winwood on clavinet) offers a beguiling glimpse of where Denny may have travelled next. Rendezvous closes with No More Sad Refrains, which updated her late 60s ballad style. As Denny died tragically young less than a year after the album's release, it became a poignant full stop to such a promising career. Catalogue number: UMCLP009 Condition: New Label: Island
