Customer Reviews

Devil May Care

5 star:		(4)
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In 2000 I had the privilege of hearing and meeting Teri shortly before the end of her difficult and tragic life. At that time, her voice was rich in expressive power, but craggy and worn from a lifetime of hardship, alcohol, drugs and finally cancer. The first time I listened to the opening passages of "Lullaby of the Leaves", the opening cut of "Devil May Care" my knees buckled. Here was a voice as rich and deep, as expressive and as unabashedly gorgeous as was ever found in recorded jazz history. Teri was young and not well known when this album was first released, but it started her on the way to stardom, and engendered comparisons of her voice with Ella's.

The arrangements are subtle, transparent and effective, with a discrete combo of able musicians, allowing Teri full freedom of expression. Who knows, had the subsequent album "Open Highway" consisted of similar and less commercialized arrangements, Teri's career might have taken a very different turn.

As history wrote it, Teri's career nosedived after "Open Highway" failed to meet sales expectations, and tragically, no recordings followed for thirty-five years. Had it been different, the world would certainly have been a richer place, and Teri might have assumed her rightful place beside Ella, Sarah and other universally loved immortals.

Teri Thornton was probably one of the best kept secrets of her time. Devil May Care is flawless--her contralto voice-- flawless. A must for any jazz vocal lover. Her enterpretation of the classic Detour Ahead, What's Your Story Morning Glory are incredible--I first heard this "album" as a kid and it stayed with me throughout my teens and now adulthood. I'm so thankful that I can now listen to this glorious gem again and again in CD form. Check it out for yourself--trust me, you'll love this classic.

I first heard Teri Thornton on a record that my brother left at my house in 1968. I was 14 and although not a fan of female jazz vocalists at the time .... I was instantly converted. She has the power and control and the range of any horn player and a certain captivating vocal wisdom that puts her in rarified territory. She is never in bad taste and even though she is a true virtuoso, it's never like she's showing off.

The original album I had was similar in style to this one and I have never been able to get "I believe in you" out of my mind. Devil May Care doesn't have that cut but there is still plenty to fall in love with here. Except for a brief revival of her career at the end of her life, we will have to learn to live with this as the only early album of hers re-released to CD. The sound quality of this 1960 recording is about as good as it got back then and the transfer does the original justice. Don't pass this one up. The small ensemble behind her is just as tasty and delicious. This is a timeless highpoint in human artistic expression.

Great singer well arranged and superbly backed. But titles of the album cuts on the website as of 6/20/03 are all wrong -- apparently from some other CD. Listen to the cuts -- they're not what's on the listing -- but they are tasty.