As the title suggests, this is Georgie Fame’s final album. It’s so full of life, energy and bright ideas that it doesn’t seem possible but, at 72, he means it. The 12 numbers constitute a kind of summing-up of his musical world. They range from a brief hymn-like tune recalling his Methodist childhood, through echoes of Count Basie, R&B, calypso, bebop, and a marvellous rap in praise of Mose Allison (“my mentor”), all ending with a muttered list of a lifetime’s heroes above a long, fading riff. There are instrumental pieces as well as songs, with sparkling solos from long-serving members of the Blue Flames, including Guy Barker, Alan Skidmore and Anthony Kerr. Beautiful.
