Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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41 of 43 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Nice, Chaka!!!!!!!!!!!!, October 18, 2004
ClassiKhan, Chaka's latest outing of standards is really like a breath of fresh air. Interestingly enough, the title is rather misleading for diehard Chaka fans would be expecting smooth, funky, grooves, that she is known far and wide for. But her jazz afinity/expertise has always been relegated to the back burner for obviously commercial and unforgivably negative reasons.
Chaka is one of the all-time premiere vocalists and it is terribly unfair to pigeonhole her or any other artist for that matter whose craft transcends cateogrization.
This is a wonderful, jazzy set of standards that true music aficianados will readily appreciate as well as enjoy. There are no surprises here in terms of vocal performance - Chaka can get as smoky, and sensual, and exhilarating as anyone out there and she is more than capably backed up by the London Symphony Orchestra no less. On a very good sound system, this is the bomb! Top-notch production which gives you the feeling of being in a grand concert hall with Chaka blowing you away while you sip luxuriously on your favorite cocktail and enjoy a good cigarette.
The only complaint I have is the choice of selections. Chaka put out a jazz album in the early days with Chick Corea and Ron Carter which is ample evidence that she can indeed carry a jazz standards album with absolutely no problem. Even some of her R&B stylings indicate an enormous range. As a matter of fact, the whole time I listened to this I was reminded when Aretha did the very same thing releasing Soul 69, quite possibly her best Atlantic recording. This was an album of standards as well with Aretha literraly blowing you away with smoky renditions of blues and jazz cuts, but with an earthier selection. Diana Ross did the same when she recorded Lady Sings the Blues which I believe helped her find her true voice.
While Chaka's rendition of Stomy Weather is deep, her reading of To Sir With Love inspired and her interpretation of Teach Me Tonight is quite simply superb, one has to wonder why she felt the urge to include TWO James Bond themes. The CD ends with a beautiful ballad she penned, showcasing again, what we just love about Miss Chaka.
In the final analysis, there are some artists who deserve to be at least noticed no matter what you may think of the product. Moreover, an artist of Chaka's stature is forever adding to their body of work - it is futile to try to put a finger on the "best thing an artist has done" but rather, revel in the next level of the art form.
If you are familiar with jazz standards and appreciate the musicality of this genre, you will be quite pleased..
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16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Most Pleasant Surprise Of The Year In Music, October 10, 2004
Chaka Khan is one of the greatest vocalists of all time. But with the exception of her 1992 disk The Woman I Am, her solo albums have been extremely uneven. Thus, CLASSIKHAN - her new album of standards and pop culture favorites - must rank as one of the year's most pleasant surprises. An undeniable winner from start to finish.
The London Symphony Orchestra suceeds with Khan where so many others have struggled since her days with Rufus by providing tasteful accompaniment that never detracts from Khan's sublime, out-front vocals. While the instrumental arrangements tend to vary little from the best known renditions of these classics, the tracks come off sounding fresh thanks to Khan's vocal stylings.
The eclectic, thirteen track lineup - all selected by Khan - is dominated by jazz standards (Hazel's Hips, The Best Is Yet To Come, I'm In The Mood For Love, Stormy Weather, Round Midnight, and Teach Me Tonight). It also includes a broadway show tune (Hey Big Spender from Sweet Charity), '60s country (Patsy Cline's Crazy) and pop (Peggy Lee's Is That All There Is) classics, and the themes of film favorites from Khan's youth (To Sir With Love, Goldfinger, and Diamonds Are Forever). The collection then concludes with an original Khan composition "I Believe" - an exquisite ballad that returns Khan to the present.
Though I love all of the tracks on this collection, my personal favorite is easily Khan's take on Is That All There Is. While Peggy Lee's version is somber and resigned, in Khan hands it becomes sassy and defiant. A strong reminder of what a unique talent she is.
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
CHAKA PAVING THE WAY, November 25, 2004
First - I love this CD and would give it 10 stars if Amazon had them. I was raised with her music and my own daughter loves her also.
Second - in response to the reviewer who compares Chaka to Ashanti! You can not compare an artist like Chaka, who has recorded pop, r&b, jazz, fusion, and standards; and who has been a constant on the charts for more than 25 years; with a mostly electronically enhanced child-like image that has the tasteless nerve to wear what amounts to an enhanced bra on her Christmas CD! It's pure class over a simple piece of --s.
In a world with disposable music I'll take Chaka, Anita, Regina, and Barbra over Ashanti and her body bearing clones any day!
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by Chaka Khan 
