Features

• Live

Reviews (8)

ETTA LIVE AND IN HER PRIME
I do not know about you but every once in a while I need my Etta. No, not the material she did when starting out in popular music -essentially `bubble gum' music in accord with the teenage tastes of the times- but, the bluesy, gospelly material as presented in this cd. That said, this cd, as all cd's, which present live music, is a little uneven technically. However, the selections presented are fine especially when they allow Etta to go the full range of her voice. I recently saw Etta live in Boston. Although she has lost most of her edge she can still belt out the classics. Stick-out selections here include I'd Rather Go Blind and Born Blue- ya, those are fine, indeed.
Sugar on the Floor
Sugar on the Floor...She Sung It...She Meant It...I Believed It...A POWER HOUSE SINGER...
Etta Live from San Fran
For a woman who is wonderful live (Watch her special on Austin City Limits) This was a tepid at best performance.
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Subjects:  1. Blues    2. Blues Music    3. Pop    4. Soul-Blues   

Subjects:  1. Ballads    2. Blues    3. Blues Collections    4. Classic Female Blues    5. Pop    6. Torch Songs    7. Traditional Pop    8. V/A Compilations    9. Vocal Jazz   

Reviews (8)

Dinah & Quincy
When this album was being recorded Dinah and Quincy were "doin' a little housekeeping" (making good music can be like making good love).
Dinah had it over all the rest!
Absolutely no one ever sang like Dinah Washington. She had a powerful voice,but knew intuitively how to modulate it within the emotionial content and peaks of the song. Her phrasing,diction,and command of the lyric was truly amazing and completely entrancing. Dinah had a bittersweet,tart and tender sound in her voice like Billie did. She could sing like an angel one minute and be very caustic the next.She reaches levels of high emotionial intensity in a non self-conscious,unpretentious way,and does so with such ease. Dinah had it over all the rest,in that, she was the first to bring the bluesy,gospel sound into jazz ballad singing. Her effervescence is completely infectious in "I Could Write A Book","Easy Living",etc. Torching her way through "My Old Flame","Blue Gardenia", and "Make the Man Love Me",the cry in her voice will cut you straight to the heart. Paul Quinchette and Wynton Kelly do alot of masterful solo work in this CD. There is track for every type of mood here with each song flowing like chapters in a book. Dinah,Paul,and Wynton sound completely relaxed,spontaneuous, and in unison here. They don't make singers,musicians,or even people like this anymore. ENJOY!!!

An Excellent Collection -- Especially if You're New to Dinah
Much of Dinah Washington's music was ruined in my opinion by too many strings and syrupy arrangements.This is a great collection of songs -- some ballads and others that really swing -- and most have very spare arrangements, drums, bass, piano or guitar, a couple of horn(s) and, most importantly, Dinah's vocals pure and unadulterated.Recorded in 1955 with great session players and arrangments by Quincy Jones -- these are the real deal and don't get any better. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Ballads    2. Classic Female Blues    3. Jazz    4. Jazz Music    5. Jazz Vocals    6. Pop    7. Standards    8. Traditional Pop    9. Vocal Jazz   

Editorial Review

Nobody's too sure where this idea came from or what it hoped to accomplish. This 1968 oddity includes a half-dozen six-song medleys, each with five vocals and an instrumental, and the CD adds a scat showcase from the same sessions. Yet the unshakable Miss Fitzgerald comes through in the clutch, delivering luxurious readings of these standards and sounding completely comfortable in doing so, despite her initial reluctance. And with veterans such as Benny Carter, Sweets Edison, George Auld, John Collins, Jimmy Jones, and Louis Bellson behind her, what can be so bad? In fact, if you can adjust to the concept as smoothly and good-humoredly as Ella herself, you may find this to be a particularly sumptuous, warm, and charming set. Read more

Features

• Extra tracks
• Original recording reissued
• Original recording remastered
• Import

Reviews (3)

A Quiet Capital Release
Ella released this Capital records recording as a follow up to her debut on that label, her second Christmas album. Ella must have been going through a phase in her life where she was exploring her spiritual side because this lp was the only one on Capital not sacred in nature. The bulk of her Capital recordings remain out of print, the only release that compiled some of these recordings is "Ella's Greatest Hits, Her Capital Recordings" released on the Curb label. I believe this was to be a concept album of sorts, each medley follows a theme and the arrangements differ from each track somewhat.Ella's vocal ability is still present and she can "morph" from a small combo to a big band setting effortlessly, her little girl voice has slightly matured and had become a bit more intimate.

A Hidden Treasure
I've been listening to Ella's music for years and had no idea this recording even existed!I happened to stumble upon it at a friend's house and now I have my own copy from Amazon! It's like finding a hidden treasure buried in sand.The 30 songs here are grouped into 6 medleys and backed by an outstanding band, lead by Benny Carter.It's refreshing to hear Ella without a huge orchestra, just a crack band with expert backing by the likes of Louis Bellson and George Auld.Ella sounds absolutely wonderful at the age of 52 (this was made in 1969).She still had the luster of her youth, but at this point in her career, incorporating added emotion and experience in her singing.She oft been (unfairly) criticized for lacking the emotional depth of a Billie Holiday or Dinah Washington.Well, Ella certainly proves her naysayers here wrong with a warm, tender, and often, if needed, wistful, reflective performance.Her interpretation of the songs here is simply breathtaking.And some of those very same songs are associated with her contemporaries---Billie, Dinah and Sarah.The signature Fitzgerald clarity and swing are evident, with the surprising emotional wallop added in for good measure. I only wish they had extended some of the numbers to their full length instead of taking them as a medley, but half is better than none.

The best!
In my opinion, this is the best of Ella's smooth and mellow style. There are actually only 4 tracks, but with a medly of 7-8 songs on each track. There is no scat. It was recorded at the time that Ella was at her peak. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Ballads    2. Bop    3. Classic Female Blues    4. Dance    5. Jazz    6. Jazz Music    7. Jazz Vocals    8. Pop    9. Standards    10. Swing    11. Traditional Pop    12. Vocal Jazz   

Reviews (2)

Excellent compliation
I have this entire 5 cd set with book and I can't praise it highly enough.Excellent compilation of the best jazz from the turn of the century through the 60's.I know that "The Smithsonian Collection of Classic Jazz" sounds like some dry documentary put together by a bunch of white professors using slide rules and electron microscopes to determine what indeed is the best jazz, but don't let that fool you.This set is a joy to listen to. Excellent compliation
I have this entire 5 cd set with book and I can't praise it highly enough.Excellent compilation of the best jazz from the turn of the century through the 60's.I know that "The Smithsonian Collection of Classic Jazz" sounds like some dry documentary put together by a bunch of white professors using slide rules and electron microscopes to determine what indeed is the best jazz, but don't let that fool you.This set is a joy to listen to.Read more

Subjects:  1. 30's    2. Ballads    3. Big Band    4. Bop    5. Classic Female Blues    6. Classic Jazz    7. Cool    8. Dixieland    9. Hard Bop    10. Jazz    11. Jazz Music    12. Jump Blues    13. Mainstream Jazz    14. Piano Blues    15. Pop    16. Standards    17. Stride    18. Sweet Bands    19. Swing    20. Traditional Pop   

Editorial Review

The mark of great singers is their ability to turn a trifling song into an emotional masterwork. R&B legend Etta James has done it live for nearly 20 years with Kiki Dee's "Sugar on the Floor" and a few others. But what's really sublime is hearing James sink her teeth into numbers that stand up to her own greatest work--"At Last" and the other Chess hits that built her reputation. James ignites such sparks all over this new disc of mostly well-chosen covers, wrapping her deep, supple, and saucy pipes around Otis Redding's "Try a Little Tenderness" and "Hawg for You"; replacing Mick Jagger's flippancy with real heart on the Rolling Stones' "Miss You"; putting the gospel fire into Bob Dylan's "You Got to Serve Somebody"; and digging down 'n' dirty intoO.V. Wright's "Don't Let My Baby Ride." The straight-ahead arrangements and undistinguished playing leave James to carry the album herself, but at 62, she's still a fireball and more than up to the task. Read more

Reviews (9)

The Voice Done Gone
It's time for Etta to hang it up. Period. powerful good
Until buying this CD I rated Live in San Francisco as easily her best but this, Praise the Lord!!, is a total mindf*#k.This is righteous powerful stuff: funk in overdrive--turbocharged blues--funkified rock!! You gotta respect somebody
For the people who ... their only perception of singers are teenage girls with lollipops hanging out their mouth,overweight and 63-years old Etta James must seems like insult.For us who are real believers in good music,her return to blues (after several surprisingly uninspired albums of jazz covers) is a welcome change and hope that she would follow her intuition next time around.From the first few seconds is audible that her heart is in blues and she is in total control of wide range of emotions on the album,spreading them around like a magiacian.While Aretha half-heartedly grooves with new R&B sound,Etta is doing what she is doing best and makes this old songs sounds like new.How many 63-year old singers can you name,who will turn Rolling Stones disco into slow,sexy blues or squeeze gentle bossa nova "Let's straighten this out" between gospel Dylan and rocking John Fogerty,sing heartbreaking blues "You're Gonna Make Me Cry" or cover of Al Green song AND end it all with a joyful,happy "Hound Dog" in which she is actually barking (you can imagine her in studio!)? Not just because of her famous past,but because her present is so decidedly uncompromising,I love and respect Etta James.(Please stop this "diva" thing - its overused expression,reserved for a every new big-haired top-charter and the word does not describe Etta James who is recording since 1955.) ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Blues    2. Blues Music    3. Pop    4. R&B    5. Soul-Blues   

Subjects:  1. Blues    2. Blues Traditional    3. Classic Female Blues    4. Classic Jazz    5. Pop    6. United States of America    7. Vaudeville Blues   

Subjects:  1. Blues    2. Blues Music    3. Blues Traditional    4. Classic Female Blues    5. Pop   

Reviews (4)

This is not the blues
Yes, these are great ladies but they are not singing the Blues. They are singing Jazz. As far as a Jazz album goes, I rate this 5 STARS. Getting Into It
For someone who has always liked the blues, but doesn't quite know why, this CD helps make it clear.It's because of the way it makes you FEEL.The sultry, beautiful release it gives you, with all the female greats (plus Louis!), makes cooking, gardening, even paying bills a treat.Your hips will sway.You will bellow out along with them.Go for it.

Mesmerizing
Morgana King's "I Know How It Feels To Be Lonely" alone is worth the price of this brilliant CD.This collection possesses an etheral quaility that presents Blues at its quintessential best.Sara Vaughn andNina Simone also shine like bright and radiant stars. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Ballads    2. Blues Collections    3. Bop    4. Classic Female Blues    5. Jazz    6. Pop    7. Standards    8. Swing    9. Traditional Pop    10. Vocal Jazz   

Editorial Review

This 1957 recording is a performance of heightened expression, with Billie Holiday able to shift the mood and meaning of these very familiar songs with the slightest inflection of pitch and time, her phrasing the equal of any great jazz instrumentalist. Her slight alterations to the melody of "Stars Fell on Alabama" suggest more complex texts of song swimming just below the lyric. The tunes feature solos by Roy Eldridge, Ben Webster, and Barney Kessel. Throughout are highlights of shared creativity, while "They Can't Take That Away from Me" is a masterpiece of late swing. Read more

Reviews (12)

Unbelievable delivery!
If you like/appreciate alternative interpretations of songs.. BUY THIS CD! It made an immediate impression on me. I found it in the used bin after looking at it full price and I am soooo happy I did. First off the other reviewers are correct; tracks 1-6 create a mood unto themselves and are the original album. Track #7 and on are fun but are in a totally different mood. Second, if you are a jazz beginner, or appreciate more traditional interpretations of songs, you may not love this right off the bat. Billie is taking songs that have been sung hundreds of times before and putting her own inimitable stamp on them. She hints at meanings not originally there, turns melodies around, and in general gives these songs a new twist that no one to this day can match. If you are familiar with Ella Fitzgerald or Sarah Vaughn--they are going to offer you a more "pure" delivery. I love those singers too.. but Billie Holiday rises to a whole new plane on this album. She's singing in a way only she can.. and the only word I can think of to describe it is ART.

lady at her best
i am a 25 y'o black male i must say i have over 35 billie holiday cds and this one is # 2 on my listher voice is at it's best i think she did a good job at picking this songsto me billie holiday is the voice of jazz

A late-period Billie album, but voice is still in good shape
As the back of the newly-remastered SONGS FOR DISTINGUE LOVERS appropriately points out, Billie Holiday's voice did change in her later years. It was much lower & richer in texture, but it was one coming from a life's worth of experience that left Billie both scarred yet still resonant as ever. While the subsequent 1959's LADY IN SATIN would make it all too clear that Billie was nearing the end, 1957's SONGS FOR DISTINGUE LOVERS indicates very little of her short time left & thus creates a masterpiece on the level of SATIN.Read more

Subjects:  1. Ballads    2. Classic Female Blues    3. Jazz    4. Jazz Music    5. Jazz Vocals    6. Pop    7. Swing    8. Traditional Pop    9. Vocal Jazz   

Editorial Review

Candye Kane is a publicist's dream. A self-proclaimed "fat, bisexual, ex-porn-star blues singer," Kane is as colorful as a peacock in a paint plant. Indeed, her more flamboyant qualities (we're talking 52-inch bust here!) have earned her a considerable club-circuit following. Read more

Reviews (14)

A more then capable blues and swing singer...
Miss Kane is perhaphs one of the most talented female vocalists to emerge grom the "neo swing" revival of teh late 90's.Her vocie recalls Etta James, and at the same time Sophie Tucker.She performs music that ranges from early R&B, jump blues, and dixieland with a 1920's falir, but it all falls in the swing category, and everything is great for dancers(especially lindy hoppers)!The group on this cd is essentially members from her Swingin Armadillos, including boogie woogie Queen of teh piano Miss Sue Palmer.A classic swing set. my favorite female vocalist
A friend told me about this, so I bought it and I love it.it is jump blues band with amazing vocals by Cany Cane.you will lvoe this I promise, if you like swing jazz and blues, and even dixieland you will love this

my favorite swing cd
I saw Candye Kane recently, and bought thsi after the show.candye's energy and dirty sense of humore won the audience over, however her voice is what is really special, she has a beautiful clear voice and sings in a 1940's/50's style, and really understands the blues, and knows how to SWING the blues.Her band is so tight and the pianist is a boogie woogie legend Sue Palmer(who has a band of her own, worth checking out), you will be swing dancing in no time once you put this cd in the player.The songs on this cd range from a dexieland version of Dream A Little Dream of Me to full on swing numbers like "200 Pounds Of Fun".This is my personal favorite of Candye's cd's for it really swings and is full of exciting performances.This is an eXTRA special cd, by an extra SPECIAL singer!BUY IT TODAY! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Blues    2. Blues-Rock    3. Modern Electric Blues    4. Pop    5. Popular Music   

Reviews (5)

Make THIS one your first Billie!
If you're looking for a great introduction to what I consider the very best of Ms. Holiday, START WITH THIS ONE.If you're already a fan, shame on you for not already having this one in your collection!It's interesting to me that other reviewers indicated that this one is not particularly well-known.Years ago, I first heard "The Very Thought of You" and was instantly hooked.This was the first disc of hers that I came across in the music store, and I am eternally grateful for that.If you are serious about a true musical form, an angelic voice that can wring tears or smiles from you, and timeless music, you MUST own this disc.

Well-Sung and Played Holiday Repetoire
This volume is not as well known as the previous volumes in this Quintessential series, but still they're well-sung and played by Billie and her incredible sidemen.The sound quality of this volume is markedly improved and better.By this time, Billie's repetoire finds slow-paced material compared with the outright "swingers" on her earlier sides, but it's a welcome addition.Billie sounds equally at ease tackling the "slow burners" as well as the swinging fast ones.There are the usual standouts such as "You Go to My Head" "Very Thought of You" and "I Can't Get Started".Some of the material were later sung by Sinatra and Nat King Cole, but Holiday's versions still stick out in my mind.Only Billie can take laughable material like "Moon Looks Down and Laughs" and "Gonna Lock My Heart" and turn them into gems.It's a testimony to her timeless artistry.

Lesser known Billie Holiday work
Of all the collected "Columbia" Quintessential volumes,this one has a biggest ratio of undiscovered repertoire.Its almost like a hearing for the first time "unreleased" tapes,many of these songs were not big succes - there were overshadowed by Lady's much better-known work.Perhaps it has to do something with her then-turmoil period as a black singer in Artie Shaw big band,who knows? Besides "The Very Thought Of You" and "You Go To My Head",other songs are quitte obscure,but still discovery is beautiful as always.Her singing is sensitive as usual,musicians great,its just that this repertoire did not survive the time as good as some of her other music.This CD is a great discovery of Billie's lesser known material,if you want something more universaly recognised (as "God Bless The Child",for example) I reccomend other "Quintessential" volumes. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Ballads    2. Classic Female Blues    3. Jazz    4. Jazz Music    5. Jazz Vocals    6. Pop    7. Swing    8. Traditional Pop    9. Vocal Jazz   

Reviews (4)

AS ONLYDINAH CAN.....
Buy this cd if for only one song: the nine minute plus version of Bessie Smith's "Trouble in the Lowlands ( AKA the Backwater Blues)"It was recorded live and just SMOKES. There is a little bit of "Trouble in Mind" ( one of my all time favourite Dinah songs ) thrown in around the improvisational middle section. The remainder of the cd is great as well, a mixture of blues and pop ballads, and a few swinging Jazz bits. Dinah Washington had a voice like no other singer EVER. Essential for fans of Jazz and the Blues.

Dinah Washington is Amazing
Dinah Washington has an amazing amount of strength behind her voice. I love this album, and I listen to it frequently. My only qualm is that some of the lyrics sound a bit "submissive", in terms of the level of dependence a woman should place upon a man (which I really shouldn't be surprised by). Nevertheless, I find myself singing along or having these songs stuck in my head.

One Smokin Black Woman
I used to date A beautiful black woman who turned me on to Dinah Washington A few years ago, and it was this album she played for me I couldn;t believe my ears I heard her voice it was so cool. I really like trouble in the lowlands and soft winds.I found out later that this album was out of print but I found A used copy on Amazon thank God.If you like great female jazz and blues singing I highly recomend this album. Also another 2 albums to get are Dinah Jams and Dinah 62. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Ballads    2. Classic Female Blues    3. Jazz    4. Jazz Music    5. Pop    6. Standards    7. Traditional Pop    8. Vocal Jazz   

Features

• Original recording remastered

Reviews (1)

Come & Get it.
Excellent CD.Good job of re-masteriing old recordings.Good selection. And a great talant ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Blues Music    2. New Orleans R&B    3. Pop    4. R&B    5. Soul    6. Soul/R & B    7. United States of America   

Reviews (3)

The best Billie Holiday CD I've ever heard!
Of all of the Billie Holiday cds I have heard, this one is by far the best!The recording is very clear.It sounds as if this was the master recording.The songs are an absolute delight!My personal favorites are: "Gee Baby Aint I Good To You", "Our Love Is Hear To Stay", "Let's Call The Whole Thing Off", okay you got me; I Like the entire cd.Well worth buying.It truly is a treasure.This is a something you won't regret buying!

A great mood CD...
As someone who has not been exposed to a great deal of jazz, this is an "easy" way to break the ice.The songs are familiar, and her rendering of them is perfect.Great to mellow the soul without putting itto sleep...

I LOVE IT
I love Billie Holiday's voice and the entire cd is of a consistent mood and great for relaxing and drifting off to sleep. I LOVE IT!! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Ballads    2. Classic Female Blues    3. Jazz    4. Jazz Music    5. Pop    6. Swing    7. Traditional Pop    8. Vocal Jazz   

Subjects:  1. Blues    2. Blues Music    3. Blues-Rock    4. Modern Electric Blues    5. Pop   

Reviews (4)

Slicker than most of Taylor's albums
Chicago blues queen Koko Taylor has yet to make a bad album, really. "Jump For Joy" is probably the least of her eight Alligator records...the production is too slick and there are too many mediocre songs, but it's far from being a total waste of time. On the contrary: Taylor's own "Stop Watching Your Enemies" is one of her best self-penned songs, and the slow and soulful "Time Will Tell" is another highlight.
Only Time will Tell
Only Time will tell and can't let go are some really good songs. But those songs shouldn't be the reason you buy this album. Buy this album because Koko can sing and she sings what happens everyday. Koko sings the truth and I encourage you to buy this album.

Passable
If you like your blues with the strained vocal element that Koko delivers, then this is probably more your style. There are some reasonable songs, but many of the tracks have horn filling which immediately says to me that the general sound lacks. Definitely yesterday's blues for me. Criss Johnson on guitar provides the best sounds on the album particularly on the opening track 'Can't let go'. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Blues    2. Blues Music    3. Electric Chicago Blues    4. Modern Electric Chicago Blues    5. Pop   

Editorial Review

Bessie Smith wasn't the first of the classic blues singers to record, but once she did, she became the form's dominant force, with a voice that combined clear diction, great power, and a unique capacity to convey complex emotions. Weariness gives way to resilience and sorrow to joyous triumph in Smith's performances, and there's nobility in her delivery of even the sometimes tritely comic lyrics she sang. This is the first of five two-CD sets that gather all her known recordings. The first 38 songs, from February 1923 to April 1924, are here. Smith was a presence when she first arrived in the studio: "Downhearted Blues," her first record and already a hit for its composer, Alberta Hunter, would sell nearly 800,000 copies in its first six months of release. It's a riveting performance, but there's greater substance just a couple of months later in the bending notes of "Oh Daddy Blues." There are many majestic performances here, with Smith usually accompanied by just piano, played by songwriter Clarence Williams, her working accompanist Irving Johns, or Fletcher Henderson. When her accompaniments begin to expand, Don Redman makes an appearance on clarinet, but the great band recordings with Louis Armstrong remain in the future. The liner notes, by Smith's biographer, Chris Albertson, are excellent, filled with illuminating background and details of Smith's career during her first year of fame. Read more

Features

• Box set

Reviews (5)

mellow blues with lots of soul
This is the first recording of Bessie Smith that I've owned and I'm not at all disappointed.On the contrary I'm so moved by her deep rhythms and the commanding presence of her voice.This collection is more mellow than I originally thought but, I think that is the beauty of the blues that Bessie sings.She truly is one unique woman.I play these cd's almost every evening and they really help me unwind.I would recommend this music, this remarkable woman.

The Undisputed Queen of the Blues
The blues is not just a musical genre,some of the artists who have made this particular kind of music are without a doubt some of the most gifted performers of all time.Bessie Smith is such an individual and she was not without peer but certainly she was one of the best voices this genre(or any genre really)had to offer.These sides sound great and the transfers are of the highest quality allowing the listener to hear the emotion she sang with.
Smooth yet rough, classic blues
Listening to this CD set is like sitting in one of those smoke filled blues bars on in an old, old movie.I first heard Bessie Smith on a small town blues radio program - you know, one of those stations that gave an hour or two to different kinds of music, so the jockeys for the particular genre really know their stuff.Her voice really stood out from all the rest.It is smooth like Ella Fitzgerald but sorrowful and knowing.I am an Ella fan too, but Bessie has more IN her voice.I would love to have heard her sing some gospel because you can hear the pure power in her voice without her every really using it. It is like a deep river running slowly.Read more

Subjects:  1. Blues    2. Blues Music    3. Blues Traditional    4. Box Sets (Audio Only)    5. Classic Female Blues    6. Classic Jazz    7. Pop   

Editorial Review

Read more

Reviews (2)

THE FUNK DIVA HAS ARRIVED. ALL OTHERS MUST BOW DOWN.
I ORIGINALLY BOUGHT THIS CD BASED UPON HEARING ONE SONG: "OUT ON THE STREET AGAIN". THIS SONG IS A MASTERPIECE; MUCH LIKE THE SONG "MASTERPIECE" BY THE TEMPTATIONS, ONLY THIS SONG GOES MUCH MUCH DEEPER. THE FUNK IS UNMATCHED, AND COULD BE LISTENED TO A THOUSAND TIMES IN A ROW, AND YOU'D NEVER BE BORED. NEXT, THERE IS "FEELING UNEASY". THIS IS A BLUESY NUMBER THAT SNEAKS UP ON YOU, GRABS YOU BY THE GUT, AND DOES NOT LET YOU GO. THIS IS SONG WHICH HAS ETTA JAMES MOSTLY MOANING, BUT IT'S A GOOD MOAN. IT IS A BLUES CLASSIC THAT EVERY HUMAN BEING SHOULD LISTEN TO WHEN THEY'RE FEELING A LITTLE BIT DOWN AND OUT. IT WILL PICK YOU RIGHT BACK ON UP, AND MAKE YOU REALIZE THAT YOU ARE NOT ALONE IN THE UNIVERSE--ETTA JAMES IS RIGHT THERE WITH YOU. THERE ARE 12 SONGS IN ALL IN THIS CD, AND 11 OF THEM ARE COMPLETE WINNERS. IN ADDITION TO DOWN IN THE VALLY GUTBUCKET BLUES, FANTASTIC RHYTHM AND BLUES, AND FUNK OVERLOADS, THERE IS ALSO A GREAT NEW ORLEANS STYLE JAM ("GONNA HAVE SOME FUN TONIGHT") ON IT, TOO. I REALLY CAN'T SAY ENOUGH GOOD THINGS ABOUT THIS CD, EXCEPT I PASSIONATELY LOVE IT, AND I'M SURE YOU WILL LOVE IT TOO. ETTA JAMES ALWAYS ROCKS THE HOUSE!!!

Etta's second best recording
Whenever one is to discover Etta James...they first must complete the sampling of 2 recordings.Come a Little Closer and Deep in the Night.Without, you haven't heard what Miss James is really all about.Come alittle closer captures her raw, with a deep delta feel that is enhanced bysong writers, producing and as always, background singers.Read more

Subjects:  1. Blues    2. Blues Music    3. Modern Electric Chicago Blues    4. Pop    5. R&B    6. Soul-Blues   

Editorial Review

In 1957, the Newport Jazz Festival presented three of the greatest jazz divas on successive nights, with the tape recorders rolling the whole time. Shortly thereafter came the original LP, Read more

Features

• Live
• Original recording reissued
• Original recording remastered

Reviews (6)

Ella, Lady Day, and Carmen, too!A Hat Trick Plus.
It was the 1957 Newport Jazz Festival and promoter George Wein programmed on successive nights arguably the four greatest jazz divas of all time--two in their prime, one clearly past it, and the fourth not as yet there.Ella and Sarah, performing on July 4 and 7, were the "book-ends," both clearly at the top of their games (I'm not one of those listeners who prefers the later Sassy).Lady Day, sounding as shaky as ever and slurring both her speech and lyrics, appeared after Ella, and an exuberant, overachieving Carmen McRae served as a set-up for the culminating concert by The Divine One.
Approach It As A Timepiece And You Will Enjoy It
When you get 3 divas on stage at Newport each singing great material that should be a cause for celebration.
Mixed Bag of Ella, Billie and Carmen
What should have been a great recording of a historical concert given by Ella, Billie and Carmen on successive nights is in reality a mixed bag, mostly due to the uneven performances.Billie's appearance with her 6 songs is the real culprit.When she starts to sing her first of six numbers, she is obviously "not there" in spirit.She sounds tired, slow, and just out of it.Her first two numbers just drag.Strangely and amazingly, by her third number she actually sounds in tune and singing with more energy."My Man" "Lover Come Back to Me" and "What Moonlight Can Do" sounds almost like the Billie of her golden years---in sync with the beat and band.Unfortunately her "Lady Sings the Blues" can be taken literally, she sounds as though the blues have gotten the best of her.It's sad listening to her here and comparing her to Ella, her colleague and rival, who sounds upbeat, energized and in great voice.This was really during Ella's peak period in performance so it's quite sad seeing the stark constrast between the two.Carmen sounds like a young girl singer, still finding her wings and not yet quite formed in her style.She tackles the songs and audience to the best of her abilities.Rarely has she come across as being so strident in her interpretive powers.Perhaps this was a big occasion for her; she was still lacking in performing concerts.Get the disc if you're strictly an Ella Fitzgerald fan because Billie's portion will leave you mostly disappointed. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. American Popular Song    2. Ballads    3. Classic Female Blues    4. Jazz    5. Jazz Music    6. Pop    7. Standards    8. Swing    9. Traditional Pop    10. Vocal Jazz