5 comments about Conscious.

1. Believe it or not, I met this young artist at a formal affair in a hotel in Atlanta recently not knowing who she was or what she was about to sing. She was singing with a trumpet player named Russell Gunn who was also unknown to me. In fact, they were briefly sitting at my table. When Julie started singing, my jaws dropped as I knew that she and the band she was with were special; I just did not know or understand how special she and the band were until I went home and googled them. The night I heard her, she sang with such mastery and voice control I simply could not believe the organization I was with could afford such a class act. This woman is a phenonminal singer with style and grace of the finest artists ever. The music I heard sounded like progressive soul and so does this CD. While Julie is young, she certainly did not follow the "hip hop crowd," but rather, continued the steller soul sound of the '70s with great singing, killer compositions and arrangements, and world class sounding musicians. This CD reminded me how terrible R&B oriented radio stations are as I have NEVER heard of Julie Dexter, and its a crying shame. I blame American radio stations as there are only a few program directors programming radio stations for the entire country, therefore, you don't get to hear the best talent like Julie Dexter because current radio programmers program stations by statistics alone whereas in the past, local jocks made artist by exposing listeners to new talent, like Julie Dexter. This artist is so good, I am now going to get her entire catalog. While I am late to the party, I strongly encourage the purchase of this CD as this is some of the finest soul music of this time. Even though this release is some four (4) years old, it still sounds fresh. Yet, there is more to come because when I heard her singing with this strong trumpet player, Russell Gunn and his band, I thought I was witnessing a new sound going beyond Sade, Chris Botti and Miles. It was like witnessing a new day in soul music.



2. I have never heard of Julie Dexter until I made another purchase from Amazon. I must say that I am happy that Amazon suggested her CD. I would recommend this CD to anyone who likes jazz or mellow music. I am very pleased with this CD and it is a shame that she is so unheard.



3. Very nice and soft sound. I have recommended the "Conscious" CD to many friends. She has a very peaceful voice and it's very easy on the ear. Give her a listen and you'll like her too.



4. Julie's a smooth operator. This is a very nice CD of her work. She's as good on CD as in person. Enjoy it.



5. I had never heard about julie before I found her on amazon.
   And this album is a big and pleasant surprise!

5 comments about Pure Imagination.

1. I remembered listening to this album when I was a kid, and HAD to find it when my son was born. The songs are fun for dancing around the living room, or singing loudly in the car, and aren't so annoyingly repetitive as other children's albums I've come across. Tons of fun, and great for memories!



2. its a good music CD has the pure imagination part of the song was song in this move Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and has this great song title "BE KIND TO YOUR PARENTS" good advice for the kids and lots of other cute litte songs for kids
   
   
   
   
   



3. If someone would want to sample Michael Feinstein's art for the first time, assuming anyone who likes Easy/listening Pop hasn't already, this would be a wonderful place to start. It is representative of everything Mr. Feinstein does so wonderufully well. It has a couple of forgotten or never known songs which turn out to be charming or better (The Dressing Song and Mole People), it has a couple of well known songs that haven't been sung all that much recently (Arent You Glad You're You, Lydia the Tatooed Lady and Teddy Bears Picnic) and it has some well known songs that you do hear frequently performed with great style and charm (Swinging On a Star, When You Wish Upon a Star) and it brings Michael's great good friend Rosemary Clooney in the sing a wonderful song from an awful Walt Disney Movie, Ten Feet off the Ground. In short this is one of the best Michael Feinstein albums ever. Pay no attention to what other reviewers have said, don't buy this for the kids, buy it for the kid inside you, and make the kids get a job and buy their own copy. This is an album for all ages.



4. Michael Feinstein captures the perfect balance of whimsy, fun, and songs that teach. He has a beautifully trained voice and he is backed up with wonderful arrangements and musicians. My 2 year old daughter and I listen to it over and over and never get tired of it.



5. I have to confess to shedding a few tears over this album, especially with the title and opening song Pure Imagination. As I grow older I find it harder and harder to feel the pluck of heartstrings, but Michael Feinstein does it with his rendition of the Anthony Newley classic. He takes me back to an innocent time with his infectious joy in this music. You can hear the smile on his face, hear the love he feels for the melody and lyrics. Most of the songs are happy and silly, but curiously there is one that every parent should listen to and take to heart. If you have heard this album, you'll know the song: Because We're Kids, from that amazing and surrealist movie The 5000 Fingers of Dr. T (From which the crazy Dressing Song also came.) This album is a true gem for all ages.

No comments about 20 Chansons D'or.

No comments about Jazz Biography Series.

No comments about Billy Remembers Billie.

1 comments about We'll Meet Again: The Love Songs of World War II.

1. This is one of the best CD's I own. I listsen to it almost every day! Everyone should get themselves a copy!!

5 comments about Die Großen Erfolge.

1. Yes, as the sniffy purists who apparently only listen to music on non-electric gramophones and 78 speed heavy lacquer vinyl recordings will tell you, this Zarah Leander compilation was recorded in 1975. They will also tell you that these recordings are inferior to the flat monotone recordings taken from her boring UFA Nazi films from a million years ago. Quatsch! THESE VERSIONS ARE BOMBASTIC AND FANTASTIC and come replete with grand music accompaniment.



2. Imagine someone singing a song like "Er heisst Waldemar"..
   I laughed so hard...basically its about love being blind..apparently she falls in love with a knucklehead, no class, a total bungler...Everywhere she looks she sees Waldemar...she names her dog and her car and chauffeur Waldemar...
   
   What makes her so good is that I was able to understand her German perfectly after 6 months in Germany because she was originally swedish the words don't come too fast...
   
   but Kann die Liebe eine Sunde sein? Bei kussen beginnt eine Frauen zu bluhen! Davon geht die Welt nicht unten...and the more idealistic..Auf einer kleiner Welt..and of course.. Erzaehl Mir Ein Maerchen
   
   I can't find the CD i had in Germany anywhere..but she is a blow me away artist..heralding back to a more idealistic era



3. I bought this cd from the german Amazon.And it's one of the best Zarah recordings i have ever heard.I am from Sweden so i have been able to get my hands on some vinyl-Zarah but this cd tops everything.The sound is clear and Zarah's voice is dark.My absolute favorit is "Cabare Paris".
   I really recommend you all Zarah Fans to buy this cd...



4. This set of recordings, on BMG/Ariola, was originally issued in 1975, and all her hits were re-recorded some 40 years after Zarah was in her prime. Only buy if you are interested in listening to drab versions of once-great songs. The same record company also released a one-CD version of this album, titled Die Grossen Erfolge von Gestern, which is just as bad only shorter. Nowhere on the jewel box does it mention these are not the original recordings, so I assume BMG is just interested in parting people with their money rather than showcasing what made Zarah great in the first place.



5. This recording is of an astonishingly clear sound (it has been digitally remastered) and it includes some of the best known songs attached to ZL: e.g. Die Rose von Novgorod and Schatten det Vergangenheit. They show her sensual voice at its best. Recommended!

No comments about 3 CD Box Set.

5 comments about Lovable & Sweet: 25 Vintage Hits.

1. Brilliant....just brilliant!!! Perfect for a rainy day....or any day....it'll simply cheer you up~!!!! Perfect to the point of tears......It's *that* good!!!



2. I picked up this cd on a lark and was stunned at how wonderful it was. My favorite tracks are "Ain't He Sweet" and "You Wouldn't Fool Me, Would Ya?", but to tell you the truth there are so many wonderful songs. One of the few cd's I can listen to from start to finish.
   
   This is my favorite cd to listen to while I'm driving - it is fun to sing along with and the light mood keeps me smiling during the entire trip.



3. Annette Hanshaw was a singer whose voice encapsulates the Jazz Age, not least due to its bell-like quality. That ensured that she comes across clearly despite the age and, in some cases, the inferior quality of the original recording process. She was also a very relaxed singer, who never sounded as though she was straining for a note. Add to that the quality of her accompaniments, which included some of New York's best studio musicians, and the result is sheer delight. This compilation spans the period of her recording career, from 1926 (aged 15) until her premature retirement in 1936, and is enhanced by discographical details and Peter Dempsey's liner notes.



4. This is a brilliant album - there are songs from her first
   recordings ("Black Bottom", "Six Feet of Papa") to her later
   recordings ("Let's Fall in Love"). Even though she isn't that
   well known, she had a much better voice than many of her
   contemporaries. "Pagan Love Song" is a beautiful - complete
   with hawaiian guitars. "You Wouldn't Fool Me, Would You" is
   sung ala Helen Kane. There is almost 80 minutes of sheer bliss.



5. This ist the first time that I am hearing Annette Hanshaw.I guess she was the most beautiful voice in the roarings 20's and 30's.Good days those days! The people in America was the happiest in the world because they had a nice girl with a marvelous voice. Annette, I love you!

5 comments about Ken Burns JAZZ Collection: Billie Holiday.

1. I am not a jazz or music expert, but Billie Holiday is my favorite vocalist, period. However, most of the other collections I have of hers (and admittedly, it's pretty limited) seem unable to divorce her public persona from her music. We know about her personal struggles, and it almost seems as if other producers have arranged her songs to reflect the inevitable downward spiral we know will come.
   
   This album, however, hits the perfect Billie Holiday pitch. For the first few songs, she's young, maybe slightly hopeful, but definitely a little haunted. For the bulk of the songs in the middle, she's romantic, but edgy with cynicism about her experiences and weaknesses. The tragedy seems to have arrived by the last three tracks, but even still, it's not so hopeless that it's painful to listen to.
   
   "Solitude", "Autumn in New York", "Traveling Light" and "Gloomy Sunday" are my favorites here. If I have any complaints about this release, it's that it whets my appetite for more.



2. This album is absolutely fantastic, and unlike most users I like the static. I got for Christmas I had never even heard Billie Holiday before, but I saw the movie "Lady Sings The Blues" and I looked her up and I listened to a sample of "Good Morning, Heartache and fell in love with her and other singers from her era.



3. In spite of the warnings from the other reviewers, I got this CD as I found no other having all the songs I was looking for. The hissing noise on 3/4 tracks are as irritating as everyone have written about. Verve records(or Ken Burns?) seems to have acted in a quite cavalier fashion in picking these noisy versions of these songs, the listeners deserved better. But I must say that this is the best 1-CD compilation of Lady Day that we have today - don't explain,solitude,strange fruit,autumn in new york,good morning heartache - it has them all. The only song I miss here is 'stars fell on alabama'. And you know what? Those noisy tracks don't sound as distracting to me any more with more and more days!



4. IGNORE all the reviewers who complain about sound quality. None of these songs were copied from "bad masters". These songs (regardless of sound quality) were picked because THEY ARE THE BEST. Gloomy Sunday, Strange Fruit, Autumn in New York(ohhh piano) and Solitude are absolute gems. I couldn't possibly say enough..I love haunting, sad, beautiful music. However, there is a better version of Yesterdays(with a organ accompaniment) on the Billie Holiday Verve Jazz Masters 12 release. But if you like Billie's sad stuff(how could you not?) this is the best collection I have seen. Oh yes and I looovvee the sound of old recordings--the way the lack of any high end makes the piano just melt together and the percusive thump of the bass and piano and guitar just melting...the sound melts...cherish the low-fi...cuz you wont ever hear like that again.



5. I have real mixed feelings about this one. As a casual introduction it misses the mark because of the terrible sound on the earlier hits. These songs have been available in remastered form for quite some time now, so it is unbelievable that listeners must endure the terribly distracting tape hiss to hear the early songs, when they can be enjoyed on other collections without so much surface noise. Possibly Burns wanted them to sound "authentic" and more immediate, but to me it is a waste of time. The later hits are pretty well represented. For the rabid fan, there is one song here unavailable anywhere else, as far as I know: the incredible 9 minute -plus version of Fine and Mellow, taken from a Jazz documentary from the late 1950's and featuring some of the most talented musicians who ever took to the stage. Billie's voice is more mature on this cut, slightly deeper, but the intonation and the feeling remain intact. I personally prefer this later version of this classic Holiday track, because the years of experience and heartache bring a new level of vocal performance. This one track is a must have for fans, and the only reason I bought this otherwise flawed collection.