Queen Latifah Dana Owens Album CD

THE DANA OWENS ALBUM is Queen Latifah's first non-rap vocal album.
Personnel: Queen Latifah (vocals); David "Fathead" Newman , Al Green (vocals); John Goux (guitar); Dan Higgins, Joel Peskin, Pete Christlieb, Brandon Fields (saxophone); James Moody (alto saxophone); Gary Grant, Larry Lunetta, Charles Davis (trumpet); Dick Nash , Bryant Breyers, Bruce Otto (trombone); Herbie Hancock, Jim Cox (piano); Peter Erskine, Vinnie Colaiuta (drums); Luis Conte (percussion); Mervyn Warren.
The hooks on the rap records indicated it could be possible, the roles in Living Out Loud and Chicago made it possible -- the first record in which Dana Owens, better known as Queen Latifah, does nothing but sing. On The Dana Owens Album, she takes on vocal standards and an unlikely array of blues, pop, and soul classics that were adaptable to this intimate setting. The worst thing about it? It makes you upset that it isn't her seventh or eighth record in this vein. Owens' seasoned voice isn't the only attraction. This is a big-time production with a cast of all-star support that includes Arif and Joe Mardin, Herbie Hancock, Vinnie Colaiuta, Jeff Porcaro, and John Patitucci. And then there's Al Green, who steps in to duet on a sizzling and delicately playful cover of his "Simply Beautiful." The range of material is very surprising. The assurance in Screamin' Jay Hawkins' "I Put a Spell on You" is all the more spooky given Owens' poised quietude; Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band's "Hard Times" (!) is one or two production tricks away from sounding like a missing cut from a '70s Rufus & Chaka Khan record; the version of Bill Withers' "The Same Love That Made Me Laugh" is so faithful and knowing that a young Owens must've worn out her parents' copy; the Mamas & the Papas' "California Dreamin'," unlike so many other versions, doesn't sound ironic or willfully corny; and most fitting of all is Joe Zawinul's "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy," in which Owens is able to let loose and belt it out a little. Through and through, this is a real delight -- very classy and a whole lot of fun. Owens has been a busy woman the past several years, whether in front of a camera or behind the scenes, but she really ought to consider doing this type of thing more often. ~ Andy Kellman
Throughout a career that started in the early days of hip-hop, Queen Latifah has consistently proven herself a woman of kaleidoscopic talents. The ultimate evidence of her versatility came in 2002, when she took on the role of "Mama" Morton in the film version of the musical CHICAGO, displaying acting chops polished enough to earn her an Academy Award nomination. In that movie, Queen Latifah also revealed an exquisite and powerful singing voice. The latter is put to good use on her 2004 record THE DANA OWENS ALBUM, a collection of (mostly) standards given full orchestral treatment.
To Latifah's credit, THE DANA OWENS ALBUM is an immense success, boasting her tremendous voice and an intelligent, provocative song selection. To put things in perspective, on "Simply Beautiful," she duets with the song's writer, the incomparable Al Green, and not only holds her own, but plays off him in the most natural of styles. On the most precarious cover on the record, she re-arranges the Mamas & the Papas' "California Dreamin'" into a breathy torch song, while retaining just a touch of the folk-imbued original. Queen Latifah closes the set with a masterful performance of the classic "Lush Life," a fitting ending to an entirely anachronistic record.