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(tenor saxophone); Ronnie Buttacavoli (trumpet, flugelhorn); Rick Baptist (flugelhorn); George Bohannon (trombone); Tony Dumas (bass); Ralph Pendland (drums); Ron Powell (percussion).
The legendary blues singer indeed lives up to the silly cliché about being able to sing the phone book and make it sound rich, meaningful, and soulful. Still, it's always exciting to hear her tackle materials she's missed before. Here she shifts gears impressively into the intimate jazz club mode, performing beautifully arranged takes on a wide variety of standards (from "Come Rain or Come Shine" to "Cry Me a River") under the direction of producer John Snyder and arranger/pianist Cedar Walton. Those two gathered a handful of great jazz players and recorded the initial tracks without James, who had a touch of the flu. A few months later she had recovered and did the amazing vocal sessions which truly sound live and in synch with the music. Beginning with the redemptive theme of "This Bitter Earth," each song allows her to explore both tenderness and guttural emotions, even a little irony on clever twists like "He's Funny That Way." There are also perfectly placed spotlights for the featured musicians. "This Bitter Earth" and "He's Funny That Way" feature a thoughtful improvisation by Walton, while Duke Ellington's "In My Solitude" has a passionate interlude by tenor saxophonist Red Holloway. Most of the vocals are textured over a bed of simmering brass, adding to the old school big band flavor that creates the atmosphere for the project. It's certainly common for great artists to thank their parents for various influences, but James goes one step further on the title track, allowing her mom to sing the tune; mom is no match for her daughter, but it's still a unique touch that adds emotional dimension to an already emotionally rich affair. ~ Jonathan Widran
Sklar (arranger, guitar); Cedar Walton (arranger, piano); Red Holloway
and March 3, 2001. Includes liner notes by Pat Kannas.
Ballads.Guest Vocals On Title Track By D.Leatherwood (Mom)
Recorded at Conway Studios, Los Angeles, California between November 30, 2000
Engineers include: Jay Newland, Charlie Watts, Richard McKernan.
Personnel: Etta James (vocals); Josh Sklair (guitar); Red Holloway (tenor saxophone); Ronnie Buttacavoli (trumpet, flugelhorn); Rick Baptist (flugelhorn); George Bohannon (trombone); Cedar Walton (piano); Ron Powell (percussion).
Recording information: Conway Recording Studios, Los Angeles, CA (11/30/2000-02/27/2001).
Mojo (Publisher) (11/01, p.118) - "...These interpretations, set against relaxed, early-morn jazz settings...measure up against anything around....Memorable."
ETTA JAMES - BLUE GARDENIA I was unfamiliar with Etta James until recently. Since buying Blue Gardenia, I've bought two more of her CD's. Where has she been all my life? Submitted by a reviewer (Chicopee, MA, USA) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo
Etta just keeps getting better It is a bit unfair for me to review this new CD as it is the 22nd in my collection of Etta James work. She is without a doubt the greatest blues singer alive and this CD proves it once again. CD Universe has a great collection of her work and if you are new to Etta I recomend you start with Blue Gardenia and then purchase some of her early recordings. I like to play them in sequence so that I can track the changes in her voice and style. She truly gets better with each recording. Submitted by a reviewer (Malaga, Spain) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo
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