Brian May & Kerry Ellis: The Candlelight Concerts—Live at Montreux 2013

When they aren't playing Queen covers, guitarist Brian May and vocalist Kerry Ellis make music that's as far from May's iconic band as Robert Plant's work with Alison Krauss was from Led Zeppelin. Remaining seated through most of the show, May and Ellis perform a 16-song acoustic set at Switzerland's Montreux Jazz Festival at the tail end of a tour that began in 2012. The duo alone present the first song, Leiber and Stoller's “I Who Have Nothing,” before being joined by Jeff Leach on keyboards. Ellis, who starred in the Queen-themed musical We Will Rock You, has a strong voice, although her carefully controlled style draws more from the theater tradition than the arena rock of Queen's Freddie Mercury. When she sings “Born Free,” in recognition of Africa's endangered lions, Ellis brings to mind Julie Andrews from The Sound of Music era, while her later rendition of “The Way We Were” underscores her link with balladeers such as Barbra Streisand (by contrast, Ellis seems a little stiff on George Harrison's “Something,” which calls for a more fluid approach). Although Ellis handles most of the vocals, May joins her for a few songs, including the Queen audience favorites “Somebody to Love” and “We Will Rock You.” Aside from the vocal selections, May also plugs in his guitar for a fusion-oriented workout with Leach. Presented in DTS 5.1 (DTS-HD 5.1 on the Blu-ray edition) and LPCM stereo, extras include a music video of Virginia McKenna's “Nothing Really Has Changed” (filmed in South Africa), and the 12-song Acoustic by Candlelight live CD. Recommended. (K. Fennessy)