Customer Reviews

Abbey Sings Abbey

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I've had this c.d. and listened to it for about a month. Had I reviewed it after first listen, I would have rated it 4 stars.

Abbey Lincoln, nee Anna Marie Wooldridge, is 77-years-old and has been singing professionally for a very long time. Although she has recorded more covers than originals over her career, she is a singularly strong songwriter. Her songs go straight to the heart, straight to the core of human emotion. As Kendra Shank demonstrated earlier this year, on her top-notch "Spirit Free", an album of nothing but Abbey Lincoln songs is destined to be a very good album, indeed.

My first reaction was that these songs sounded better when Abbey first recorded them in the '90's, on such seminal albums as "You Gotta Pay the Band" and "The World Is Falling Down." My second reaction was that this c.d. was recorded over 4 dates, in September and November of 2006, and her voice sounds weaker on some cuts (notably "Blue Monk") than on others.

But then, I read an essay about this c.d. and about Mark Murphy's recent (and wonderful) "Love Is What Stays" by David Hajdu in the September 10, 2007 issue of "The New Republic". And because of that essay, I re-listened to this c.d. with "new ears", and changed my opinion.

As Mr. Hajdu points out, the trend amongst elderly jazz singers is to act their age, unlike some aging rock singers, and to encompass the wisdom of their experience in their art while staying true to their genre, also unlike some aging rock singers. I've written about that as well, in reviews of Murphy's aforesaid album, as well as albums by Shirley Horn, Nancy Wilson and Freddie Cole. I like the honest, indigenous approach.

And that's what we have here, and then some. Abbey Lincoln sounds like a shaman, a medicine woman, the wise elder on the tribal council. As the title to one of her songs implies, she teaches you how to listen, just as she has learned how to listen.

What makes this c.d. work is the instrumentation. No piano, bass, drums and sax here. Instead, we have Larry Campbell playing pedal steel, bottleneck, and all other forms of guitar; and we have Gil Goldstein playing accordion. With this instrumentation, Abbey sounds of the country. Any country. She is of the earth. This instrumentation emphasizes the wisdom of her words brilliantly. It even works on "The Music Is the Magic", where Campbell plays a bar-band style electric guitar. (Abbey Lincoln meets "The Fabulous Thunderbirds;" who'da thunkit?!)

If you're like me, do listen to this c.d. more than once. And imagine yourself celebrating life, celebrating the present existence, in all its struggles and glories, while you listen. As the title of the old Paul Bley ablum suggests, become open, to love. And you will agree: absolutely 5 stars. RC

Five SURPRISING Stars!! Abbey Lincoln has been a pre-eminent jazz singer/songwriter for decades, leading the group more often than not because she was crafting the powerful, unusual, socially conscious songs she sang in her own pure, idiomatic way. She brings her extraordinary skills to this CD in a more different vein than I have ever heard. THe emphasis here is on the song and the delivery in different sonic frameworks. Without the expected pure jazz backgrounds, she adds in different types of music that she soars over, hinting at other exotic and different music forms, relying primarily on Larry Campbell's wonderful guitars with support from Scott Colley's bass, Gil Goldstein's accordion, drummer Shawn Pelton, and Dave Eggar's cello. Even with the different sonic backgrounds, there is still the jazzy, declarative phrasing, that wonderful internal rhythm of the delivery, and the wonderful personal vibrato. And it works beautifully, maybe opening her deeply personal music to other listeners beyond the jazz realm. A jazz singer for the ages and a pure singer for today!

The 'Pieces De Resistance', the best of the best, begin with "The World Is Falling Down" which gets a 'blues with a bounce' treatment that is startling but completely effective: a great performance that demonstrates the universality and capabilities of Abbey's music. "Throw It Away" gets the gypsy treatment, re-inventing the delivery and the atmosphere in a wonderful, mesmerizing performance. "Should've Been" is more along the expected jazz/blues arc: a great performance. "Bird Alone" is pure Abbey Lincoln lyrics and delivery. "Down Here Below" is a powerful, searing testament to living through the times and the pain. After decades of shaping her craft and her music within the jazz realm as one of it's 'supreme queens', Abbey Lincoln has created yet another surprise, based on some of her most well-known works and it is FABULOUS. My Highest Recommendation! Five HUGE Stars!!

(This review is based on an iTunes digital download.)

For those who expect their jazz singers to possess a unique timbre, the departure of Shirley Horn passes the "greatest-living-vocalist" crown to the reclusive Abbey Lincoln.
Her voice, while unmistakeably personal, carries the same bluesy texture and total emotional commitment of a royal line going back to Billie Holiday and beyond.
She's also a fine composer whose bittersweet songs have a strong identity.
Warmly backed by a group featuring cellist Dave Eggar, accordionist Gil Goldstein and Larry Campbell on mandolin and various guitars, she sounds contentedly sad.
The first track, Thelonious Monk's "Blue Monk" (lyrics by Lincoln) is the only historically jazz track on this album but it falls in nicely with the folksy country blues exploration of emotion of the rest of the album.
"Should've Been" is real class while "And It's Supposed To Be Love" is a happy-go-Norah Jones time turn.
There's definitely some voodoo mambo going on with "The Music Is The Magic".
The final track, "Being Me" shows an affirmation of an ending which is a bit of a cliché but that's easy enough to overlook bearing in mind the quality of the rest of the CD.
Larry Campbell's guitar work and Gil Goldstein's accordion really set the scene for this uplifting set for the quiet times in your life, but Abbey is the real star here.
Abbey Lincoln (vocals), Larry Campbell (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, National guitar, pedal steel, mandolin), Scott Colley (bass), Gil Goldstein (accordion), Dave Eggar (cello).

Abbey Lincoln's CD, Abbey Sings Abbey, is prolific and tests the skills of not only one of our most creative multidimensional artists, but also the skills of all her accompanists. This particular recording blends traditional blues, clearly-heard Zydeco chords, jazz, and all-around personal tales to share with all of us. Listening to this CD allows the mind and emotions of every individual the chance to strengthen his/her inner peace and to go deep in introspection. Abbey's voice has now turned to a gorgeous burnt umber, deep in inflections, wide-ranging, and based on actual experience in living. I would suggest buying this CD for persons who enjoy all musical types.

This cd touched my spirit in many ways, the haunting voice of Abbey Lincoln is that of a Goddess. She can say the many things I cannot find words for about life, love and creativity.

PAM

I've been a huge Abbey Lincoln fan for years, and find her singing and writing talents endlessly fascinating. This latest album is particularly interesting for long time fans, as she takes songs she previously recorded and completely reinterprets them, with new arrangements and vocal wizardry. New fans who have never heard these songs will be equally impressed by Ms. Lincoln's artistry. Buy it!

Tremendous collection. Abbey Lincoln is a special talent. Music is the Magic is one of the best songs I have heard in a long time.

This is a great Cd. If you are into Abbey, this is a must have for your collection.

Old line jazz vocals meets Larry Campbell's astute production values- a treat for sore ears

I heard Blue Monk on the radio, and wanted to find out more. So I just downloaded that one cut. Larry Campbell's guitar stuff is killer. So what if she's a little over the hill? This still gets me where I want to got.
So I worked out the guitar stuff in A, am learning the lyrics, and may give it a shot the next time I do an open mike night somewhere.

I guess I should listen to the rest of the album.

Larry the M
Cambridge