Double Standards

Lea DeLaria | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 22, 2005)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Telarc
• ASIN: B0007QJ1F2
• Also Available in: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #80,528 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Dancing Barefoot

2. Kiko and the Lavender Moon

3. Call Me

4. Philadelphia

5. Just a Girl

6. Been Caught Stealing

7. Black Hole Sun

8. People Are Strange

9. Tattooed Love Boys

10. Alliance

11. Longview

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A success!, March 29, 2005

By 

Jim (Richmond, VA United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Double Standards (Audio CD)

This is a very successful album. The arrangements, production, and talent is right on the mark. Lea manages expertly the difficult task of translating rock songs into a traditional jazz vocabulary and the band is excellent. She succeeds where most jazz singers fail (maybe because she was smart enough to avoid Joni Mitchell's brilliant but mostly impossible songs). "Philadelphia" is so well done that it is destined to become a new jazz standard. It's stylish jazz at its best.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars All you old-school rockers...Take the leap, March 13, 2005

By 

David L. Brame (Jupiter, Florida USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Double Standards (Audio CD)

When I first heard that this recording existed, I was skeptical. I mean, really, who would want to hear Blondie's "Call Me" jazzed up. But believe me, Lea Delaria et al take this song, and the others, to a new level of feeling. Very sultry, indeed.

By the time I got to Green Day's onanistic "Longview", I was sold on the idea. I have been exposed to jazz/torch singers in the past but I would never have believed that "Been Caught Stealing" could be done the same way.

If you are a fan of jazz and/or a fan of the originals, you will be happy you own this. It is great to see a artist attempt to bring jazz to a younger audience.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Another Very Impressive Performance of a Doomed Idea, May 16, 2005

By 

Rick Cornell "RC" (Reno, Nv USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Double Standards (Audio CD)

In the past two weeks I've reviewed Petra Haden's "The Who Sell Out" and this one. Rarely have I heard two albums, so close in time, which constitute very impressive performances of doomed ideas.

In the case of Ms. Haden, the issue isn't doing a vocal jazz rendition of "The Who Sell Out" album; the issue is doing an all-vocal recreation by having one artist singing a bunch of tracks into the mixing board.

In this case, the issue isn't doing a vocal jazz rendition of alt rock or punk tunes from the '80's and '90's; it's doing these tunes.

In fact, initially I really liked the idea that someone was willing to take on this project. A plus mark for any vocal jazz artist who is willing to take the artform beyond another cover of "Love For Sale." And in its execution, if you didn't know these tunes, you'd say that this album sounds very good.

Here's the problem: jazz in its heyday was about taking popular music of the day, exploring it and making it edgy. Think of Coltrane's "My Favorite Things", or even Louis Armstrong's "Dinah", and you know what I mean.

But how can you possibly take Green Day's "Longview", for example, Soundgarten's "Black Hole Sun", Chrissie Hynde and the Pretenders' "Tattooed Love Boys" or Jane's Addiction's "Been Caught Stealing" and make them edgier than the originals? You can't; and in particular, Chris Cornell's anthem to teenaged angst sounds like well-done lounge music.

The tunes that work best on this project are the ones that are the least edgy, the least about teenage angst and sexual irresolutions. Neil Young's "Philadelphia", Gwen Stefani's "Just a Girl" and the Doors' "People Are Strange" all sound fine. And Robert Wyatt's "Alliance" in particular is an edgier, darker improvement on the original: put this cut and 10 others of this genre here, and you have a high-5 album. And the musicians on this project (Gil Goldstein-piano/accordion; Christian McBride-bass; Seamus Blake-tenor sax; Bill Stewart-drums; and others) are top drawer.

I hope this album inspires jazz artists to be more adventuresome. But some things, such as jazz and three-chord power punk, or jazz and grunge, generally don't mix very well. RC