4 comments about Love Wants to Dance.

1. Maria really outdid herself with this compilation -- Wowie Zowie! When I listen to this CD she's got me dreamin' and dancin' and swoonin' and romancin' like a Ph.D. of Love.
   
   Most of the songs are what I would call "music to fall in love by and with" but there are a couple for those feeling a little less blessed too. There is MAGIC in this album -- magic in the music, lyrics and Maria's delivery. I had to listen to the whole thing three times before I flipped. Sometimes when hearing all new stuff (I think it was all new) I have to hear something a few times before it hooks me -- and I'm hooked, I'm hooked! Maria's the Queen!!!



2. I bought this CD after hearing 'Baby, you're my destiny'- I'm in love and you know how that is, every love song makes sense and appears to be written just for you.. This is such a great collection of songs- she is alternately exuberant, wistful, sexy and rueful. This CD showcases this womans fantastic voice- the quality of the musicians on all the tracks to me are flawless. A great big wonderful CD.



3. Maria Muldaur's creative streak continues with "Love Wants to Dance." The incredible thing that Muldaur makes seem so effortless is making this diverse set of songs sound like they belong together. She sets the mood and draws us into the mood with her. From the opener, "The Lies of Handsome Men," her sultry wistful vocals pulse the emotions out of the lyric, "Somewhere in the corner of my mind, I'm not a fool completely blind. Even though he's hooked me on his line, I find the pleasure's been mine." Benny Goodman's "If Dreams Come True" begins to sound bluegrass with Joe Craven's violin before its uptempo swing gets our feet to tapping. The 7-minute "Love Dance" is as soft and swaying as any torch song that has been lit in the last century. "Come share your secret dreams with me," Muldaur invites on the sparse "Isn't That the Thing to Do?" Bob Dylan's "Moonlight" is remade so completely that one could swear he must have been one of the 1940's best composers. Taj Mahal's "Baby You're My Destiny" is an upbeat thrill as Muldaur croons, "You really mess with me." Harold Arlen's "I've Got a Right to Sing the Blues" is drenched with Jim Rothermel's sexy sax swagger as Muldaur's vocal interplays with the sax in a flirtatious sadness. "I found a shirt you left behind, hidden between some clothes of mine," she again croons with more sad sax weeping gently on "The Strong Stand Alone." Sheila Smith's bright upbeat "Everyday's A New Day" concludes the set. Muldaur continues to push the boundaries by discovering and reinventing excellent material that is enhanced by the singer's vocal embrace. Enjoy!



4. Maria Muldaur's latest offering, "Love Wants Dance," follows in the footsteps of her wonderful Peggy Lee tribute "A Woman Alone With The Blues." Here we find Muldaur as seductive and sultry as ever. She sings with an ease and carefree quality that reminds one of her earlier works, in particular "Sweet and Slow." Here we find the artist moving in a territory where at this point in her career she excels and cannot be mimicked or really outdone by any other singer.
   
   There is particular care taken in the choice of material and its unified presentation. Muldaur and company move easily from the works of Harold Arlen and Blossom Dearie to songs of Bob Dylan, Taj Mahal and Brenda Burns as if they were all writing with the same pen. It's a great achievement to coherently put together such material without a seam! But then again, Muldaur's been doing such seamless work for years.
   
   It's hard to pick a favorite here since every cut is exquisite, but I would single out " The Lies Of Handsome Men," "Isn't That The Thing To Do?" and "I've Got A Right To Sing The Blues" as particularly special. But it's also hard to not note Mahal's "Baby You're My Destiny," Burn's "The Strong Stand Alone," and Sheila Smith's "Every Day's A New Day."
   
   Muldaur's band here is right in touch with the singer. Danny Caron's guitar work is splendid, and it weaves in and out in a languid style that suits Muldaur's voice and temperament perfectly. Jim Rothermel is also to be commended for some fine clarinet and sax work, especially on "I've Got A Right..."
   
   "Love Wants To Dance" is as fine a recording as Muldaur has ever put out. While its not "Sweet Harmony" or "Richland Woman Blues," it is every bit as good as those recordings. One just has to remember that Maria Muldaur comes in many styles and colors and that from recording to recording she'll throw you a curve ball every time!

No comments about Falling in Love Again.

1 comments about The Flapper Box: Greatest Hits of the 1930's & 1940's.

1. This is a fabulous over-all set of discs. It covers more than the 30's and is really an excellent representation of music of the time.

   I'm always playing cds and this set comes up quite often

5 comments about Let Me Off Uptown.

1. It is very hard not to like this disc if you enjoy female vocal jazz from the classic genre.



2. The songs chosen here were made famous by others. The title song, for example, was made famous by Anita O'Day, Roy Eldridge and the Gene Krupa Band back in the 40's. At that time singers had a hard time keeping up with the band. Anita was one of the first singers to not only keep up with the tempos, but make them sound relaxed, easy and full of fun. All the while she'd still be kissing every bar line right on the money - but so sweetly you hardly noticed she did it. Let Me Off Uptown: The Best of Anita O'Day
   
   Cheryl is no O'Day and unfortunatly it is much the same with the other songs. It is a pity because Cheryl does have a pleasant voice, and she does her best to make the songs fun. But song after song I couldn't help comparing her with the original singers. Naturally two singers are never the same, but in this case it is more than just a matter of different styles. I started to notice that Cheryl occasionally had some slight difficulties controlling her voice, was forcing the rhythm slightly here and there, and once in a while her notes were slightly sour. I don't think I would have noticed these flaws if she had sung some other group of songs, but... well, in this case I did.
   
   On the positive side, you can tell she really likes these songs and enjoys singing them. That comes through and somewhat makes up for the other things. In the end, however, I would recommend you listen to the originals. They are not only technically better, but they have more style and emotion.



3. Having been recommended Cheryl Bentyne's music, I almost grabbed Talk of the Town but something swayed me to choose "Let Me Off Uptown." I'm glad it did. She has a wonderfully brassy, sassy, sultry voice, that seems to move around from song to song as if floating. It doesn't hurt that the music backing her up is first-rate. The song selection is commendable, bouncing around as it does from up-tempo to cabaret. Lots of good horn work too. All around Ms. Bentyne is a class act and her voice is certainly one of the best in jazz/pop right now.



4. Had I not heard "Talk of the Town", her previous CD, I'd have said that this is one great release. But though her voice is still incomparable, the songs selected are not quite as sparkling as on that earlier CD. Some of the problem may be that this is a tribute to Anita O'Day and the style may not be the best fit for Bentyne. Favorites on this CD are Whisper Not and Waiter, Make Mine Blues. The biggest disappointment though, was to find out that she's married to the hairy brute who produced the CD. Oh well...



5. Some really good stuff here. Skylark and A Man with a Horn two of the best. Back up musicians first rate. Will be looking for more Cheryl Bentyne music with anticipation. She may become my favorite female jazz vocalist.

No comments about Bruel Live: Des Souvenirs...Ensemble.

4 comments about Women & Songs: Beginnings.

1. What a wonderful collection! Classic songs and voices that one never gets tired of hearing. Hearing the collection was like going back in time and enjoying the memories of simplier and kinder times. Songs my parents loved and songs I remember as a child into my teens. This is one collection you won't mind leaving in the player to play again and again.



2. When I came across this product, I was immediately drawn to the song selection which not only included popular classic songs but also rare 1970s gems like "Lotta Love," "Midnight at the Oasis," "Blue Bayou," "Midnight Blue" and "Chuck E.'s in Love" which is why I decided to purchase it. Except for about 2 tracks which were unknown to me but still enjoyed listening to like "So Long," and "Just One Look," this CD compilation is truly worth owning because it includes some of the greatest female vocalists of all time like Billie, Dinah, Ella, Peggy, Patsy, Petula, Bette, Dionne, Judy, Carly, Janis, Aretha, Gladys and so on. Listening to this double CD was pure joy because aside from the great song selection showing diverse singing styles of women, the recording / sound level of each song was perfect and consistently at its maximum level which would make any listener appreciate all over again the arrangements and timeless quality of each song. Some compilations usually suffer from inconsistent sound levels per song because some songs have louder recordings than the others. But not in this case. Each song moved beautifully and smoothly to the next. My only complaint about this double CD? Quite expensive! $45.99 is quite expensive! It is a double CD but the cost is equivalent to about 4 single CDs or 2 double CDs. I had to think twice before purchasing it because here in the Philippines, one dollar is equivalent to 50 pesos so this CD actually cost me P2,300.00 (this even excludes shipping!) when, comparatively, original double CDs here cost from only P500.00 to P900.00. Nevertheless, a true collector's item for music enthusiasts!



3. I had to wait 6 weeks for this double-CD, but it was more than worth it. I have never had a set of CDs jam packed with so many classics. I could rave about this album for a long time, how it's perfect to sing along to, how it contains some of the best songs by women ever, how it's worth more than it's price, or how these are two CDs that everyone can agree on listening to when you're travelling in a car.
   
   I was searching for "Blue Bayou" when I found this album, and I felt like I had struck gold. That feeling has never waned; I love this album.



4. This is my favourite 2 cds, I could listen to them over and over again. A must have for any good music collection.

1 comments about Classics Up to Date, Vol. 1.

1. I first got NO.4 in the series and liked the album a lot. Then I got this first one which turned out to be a dissapointment. The style is different and vocals are used in many of the songs in this album. But it is simply not as enjoyable as 4. I suspect the music gets better as the series goes.

5 comments about Secret Love: the Music of Doris Day.

1. Karen Oberlin is not Doris Day. Her voice doesn't have energy or power, her range is narrow and often misses the tone sounding thin and weak. To do a whole album of someone like Doris Day - it should dazzle, but it does not.
   It's not that I was expecting Doris Day - but that it would be an album that scintillated with it's own energy and would modernize the arrangements with a jazz sound. Doris's voice sparkled. In comparison this album is quite ordinary and Karen's voice in this sounds ordinary. I was disappointed.



2. This is without a doubt my favorite CD ever. I have been fortunate enough to hear Ms. Oberlin perform live many times in NYC and this CD almost captures the beauty of her live performances.
   
   Her rendition of How Are Things in Glocca Morra is the greatest version ever sung. She now owns that song!!



3. Listen to the soft, dreamy, vocal styling of Karen Oberlin and it will take you back to a simpler, more romantic time. Listen, and you will be carried back to a little restaurant, a beautiful, vocalist at the piano, melting your heart. Many of these standards including, "I'll See You in My Dreams," are envisioned in the abstract...gathered in your memories...take the time to close your eyes and listen. Karen's performance is just so soothing. I listened to every facet of these classics, trying to find the dagger that will take me out of my "journey." It wasn't there. Oh yes, this is about Doris Day, or is it? I'm listening to Karen singing to me, right now. That's all that matters.



4. Probably because she first came to my attention as a movie star--and as the polar opposite of the screen sirens who stirred the hormones of a teen-aged boy--Doris Day somehow never reached me as a singer. It's been only in recent years that her voice, with its consistency, vibrancy, power and freshness, inerrant pitch and sublime musicality, has led me to collect her recordings. There's no question in my mind now that she was the real deal--a seasoned trouper who learned her craft in the '40's and could hold her own in front of any of the big bands--probably even without a microphone. There's an "edge" to every one of her performances, but nothing was forced. Moreover, as anyone who has seen her as Calamity Jane knows, she was the complete package: the voice, the persona (if that's an accurate term for so natural a presence), and the indomitable, unflagging spirit were all one.
   
   Karen Oberlin's generous album (18 tunes!) is both a heartfelt homage to the great forebearer and a sparkling and highly personal set of performances that would do any present-day singer proud. She replaces Doris's tightly spinning vibrato with a smoother, more "contemporary," tone and employs more dynamic contrasts than Doris, allowing today's sensitive microphones to catch subtle shadings and vocal inflections. On "Que Sera," for example, the second "will be" in "whatever will be, will be" becomes not a repetitious iamb but an unexpected trochee in the artist's playful, dramatically effective emphasis on "will." On "It's Magic" she practically makes us associate the magical with the miraculous in her slight pause and then embracing of the critical word.
   
   Credit, too, the always surprising arrangements of pianist Peter Firth and the sensitive accompaniment provided by two of New York's finest--David Fink (ironically, a favorite bassist of Andre Previn, who accompanied Doris on one of her most memorable albums) and Kenny Washington (also the preferred drummer of hard boppers like Johnny Griffin).
   
   Oberlin includes the little-known jewels, such as R&H's "Nobody's Heart," alongside the '50's Hit Parade songs. But even the latter sound like staples in the Great American Songbook (newly minted ones at that) thanks to the inspired musicianship, good taste, and respect for the overseeing muse that is in abundant evidence throughout the project. The entire program is a labor of love, one that no listener (even someone who doesn't remember Doris) can't help but love.



5. This is one of three Doris Day tribute albums that I own. All are brilliant, but in different ways. None of them are straight copies and there are fewer songs that they share in common than one might expect. Karen's interest in Doris's music was really stirred when she heard some of the early jazzy recordings that Doris made with Les Brown. Karen firmly believes that Doris is not taken as seriously as she should be, so this album avoids anything lightweight. The style of the album is jazz, using piano, bass, drums, guitar, tenor sax and flugelhorn.

   Whatever will be will be (Que sera sera) is given a completely different arrangement, created especially for Karen, which brings out the true meaning of the song. The result is impressive. Karen states that two her favorite albums are Duet and Day by night. Doris recorded Close your eyes twice, once for each of those albums. Karen's version opens this set. Yes and Nobody's heart are two other songs on Duet that Karen covered for this album, which also includes The night we called it a day from Day by night.

   Secret love, I'll never stop loving you, It's magic and Sentimental journey are four famous classics here, all exquisitely covered by Karen. I'm not sure if How are things in Glocca Morra? really belongs in this collection, but I love that song as much as Karen does, and Doris did actually sing the song.

   With eighteen tracks, all of them wonderful, this is a great tribute to Doris. It is my first Karen Oberlin album, but it certainly won't be my last.

3 comments about Diva Series.

1. "The Diva Series" is part of Verve Records' project that pays tribute to the most remarkable jazz divas of all-time with their most impressive body of work. Billie Holiday was definitely one of them and she truly deserved the title being one of the pioneers who helped shaped the Great American Songbook in the music world. She was one of the greatest interpreters of this music genre. She had the most extraordinary style of singing and a very distinctive voice that sets her apart from other jazz singers.
   
   This compilation contains sixteen of the most notable songs recorded between 1939 and 1957 under Verve Records with some of the most distinguished musicians namely Oscar Peterson, Wynton Kelly, Horace Henderson (piano), Herb Ellis, Barney Kessel (guitar), Sweets Edison (trumpet), Ben Webster (tenor sax) and Ray Brown (bass) from among many others.
   
   All the songs are highlights, each song is interpreted distinctively like no other - I simply call it "Billie Holiday's very own unique style of phrasing and delivery." While I so enjoyed listening to "What A Little Moonlight Can Do," "Speak Low," "Just One of Those Things" and "Easy Living," I would single out as a top favorite the lyrics by Gus Kahn to the music of Walter Donaldson, one of the pair's most popular songs and the most widely-recorded by jazz vocalists and instrumentalists, "Love Me Or Leave Me," which Lady Day sings in a very rare fashion.
   
   "You won't believe me but I love you only
   I'd rather be lonely than happy with somebody else
   You might find the night time the right time for kissing
   Night time is my time for just reminiscing
   Regretting instead of forgetting with somebody else
   There'll be no one unless that someone is you
   I intend to be independently blue...
   For your love is my love
   There's no love for nobody else."
   
   "The Diva Series" is such a delightful collection, I own this one plus The Diva Series: Astrud Gilberto, and I'm looking forward to add Diva Series: Ella Fitzgerald, Diva Series: Blossom Dearie, Diva Series: Dinah Washington and Diva Series: Sarah Vaughan. Wholeheartedly recommended.



2. This is an excellent Billie Holiday CD. I have many CDs
   of hers, but most suffer from poor quality reproduction,
   this one is superb,at last we can hear Billie Holiday
   as she must really have sounded,every track a winner.



3. Billie, her voice , her style , her distinction of a remarkably true artist will live on forever. A great CD! A most gifted DIVA

1 comments about 20 Chansons d'Or.

1. the version of "et maintenant" is a bad jazzed up re-recording of the original and is hardly recognizable as the same song when you buy a cd titled 20 golden (d'or) songs you have the right to expect to hear the original version that made the song famous....this version isn't even close this is becaud on a bad day, with even the background music bearing no resemblance to the original sound