Customer Reviews

Django

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

 

 

To begin with: what a fantastic CD-box, a real jewel, glittering black back, and a soft-toned fotograph of Helen Merrill with John Lewis that ought to hang on every jazzfans wall. Perhaps a Japanese homage to their admired singer who lived there for some years; Helen once mentioned Tokyo as her second home.
So I had high expectations about this recording and got hold of one of the last specimens in the world.
What can be the reason that even repeated listening to this recording remains a bit disappointing? My attention fades away after the first track (Django, beautifully scatted by Helen), the music does'nt become vivacious enough, not spontaneous; everything stays fairly unimaginative, even sterile though you can clearly hear that it concerns highly talented musicians. It is all tidy sung and played but that's not enough to make inspired music.
Important to mention in this context my enthusiasm for the artistry of Helen Merrill. I reviewed most of het recordings with five stars (the Merrill-Dick Katz-sessions, You and the Night and the Music, Brownie, Collaboration, for instance) but I'm sorry not to be able (if I want to stay honest) to rate this recording with more than four stars.
Nonetheless a reissue of Django ought to be realised, it is too valuable to remain 'out of stock'.