Customer Reviews

The Jazz Album: Watch What Happens

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

 

 

I have most of the superb Thomas Quasthoff's albums, and am always interested in hearing him do different music. Singing these jazz numbers, he sounds just like a member of the Rat Pack! He always sings authentically, and always with great originality. In this jazz album, Mr. Quasthoff sings with no trace of a German accent, and he captures the style and razzle-dazzle of these songs. The liner notes indicate that these songs were selected to form a song cycle of the artist's own emotional experiences.

My favorites are the Stevie Wonder song "You and I" and "They All Laughed." Other composers featured are George Gershwin, Michel Legrand, Duke Ellington, Rodgers and Hart, and others. There is a mix of the upbeat and humorous (Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive, Can't We Be Friends, They All Laughed), and the more reflective and serious (Smile, In My Solitude).

There is quite a bit of artistry involved in the interpretations here. For example, in Duke Ellington's "In my Solitude," there is disturbing and eerie quality, particularly in the instrumental section following the line "I know that I'll soon go mad." Special mention must be made of the outstanding instrumental contributions, the excellent Till Bronner on trumpet and Alan Broadbent on piano, as well as the back up orchestra, which is essential to the interpretations (such as in the Duke Ellington, mentioned above).

This entire album is masterfully sung by Mr. Quasthoff in his own unique style. I highly recommend this album, as I do all his other albums. I only wish that Thomas Quasthoff would begin recording albums of all his current concerts, such as Brahm's Die Schone Magelone, and Mahler's Kindertotenlieder. Much of the public, myself included, can never get enough of this voice and more albums.

Being a great admirer of T. Quasthoff in his classical performance and a jazz lover, I didn't hesitate to order this cd. Moreover, the jazz impro bonus on The Voice let me think that Mr Quasthoff's voice could match perfectly the jazz style. The result is beyond the expectations. Mr Quasthoff sings these jazz standards as if he had done that all his life long, and the result is astonishing. It is even further enhanced by the great recording! So, order this CD without hesitation....

Quasthoff has a great voice, there's no denying that. And these songs take him out of his comfort zone, as an opera singer. Needless to say, his voice resonates with much more power and refinement than the original singers. And the arrangements with the Dutch Philharmonic are clean and defer to his voice, which is how most would like it. The only downside for me was that the songs chosen were not able to showcase his voice properly, with a couple exceptions. This is a small quibble because everything still sounds great.

If you research Thomas Quasthoff's background you'll clearly see his history is in Classical music! You won't find any flaws in his voice...The music...The Sound Quality...It's ALL PERFECT! I just tend to lean more towards the ballads! The uptempo tracks are substandard...the normal run-on-the-mill arrangements that we've all heard before, but when you get to the ballads now that's a whole different story! This singer SOARS on: "You And I" Thomas takes this song and gives it whole new meaning. Even Stevie Wonder himself would have to say Damn! Then there is: "I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face", "Smile", My Funny Valentine", "What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life", and "In My Solitude". Those who do has this album will tell you "We're ALL waiting with baited breath for the next JAZZ ALBUM!!!"

I recently became aware of a new album by one of the finest singers I've ever heard. Thomas Quasthoff is one of the leading bass baritones in today's classical world. What is also phenomenal about this German lieder singer is the ease with which he crosses over into the world of pop and jazz. I have never heard a classical artist do this with such total spontaneity and the ability to not only swing you to death but scatting with titillating aplomb. (See him on Youtube - Thomas Quasthoff - All Blues.) Since German is his native tongue it is all the more impressive that he has mastered not only the English language but many of the nuances of the language as well. Although I would not label this a true jazz album, it is nonetheless a lovely vocal album of jazzy tunes. Quasthoff's musical inflections are reminiscent of Sinatra, Bennet and Sammy Davis Jr. and yet he brings to the table something totally his own.
I was made aware of Quasthoff from alto saxophonist, Gary Foster, who appeared on Thomas Quasthoff - The Jazz Album on Deutsche Grammophon. This is a delightful musical journey with swinging standards and lush, gorgeous ballads - beautifully scored by Nan Schwartz. Thomas' voice is exquisite in all regards. (Listen to some of his Schubert lieder!!!)
In a world full of wanna-be jazz singers and second-rate imitation crooners, when this million-dollar instrument sings Gerswhin, Wonder and LeGrand, you will simply melt! Check it out!

Review by Andrea Baker aka Andrea Wilkerson

Since I saw the cover of this CD, it raised my curiosity. DG produced Jazz music? And Quasthoff singing Jazz? But my curiosity is answered by listening to the mp3 demo. Brilliant music. And after ordering and listening it throughly..This recording always appeals me to listen, and listen, and listen again..Simply brilliant music. As a piano accompanist, I knew Quasthoff as superb baritone singer, in the same degree as Bryn Terfel. But after listening to his Jazz album, for me this is more superior than Terfel's 'If Ever I would Leave You (DG 1998). The arrangement, orchestra, Brass section, everything is so perfectly blend into brilliant music (special remarks to the pianist Alan Broadbent and drummer Peter Erskine). Quasthoff could offer truly different vocal colors from lied-singing he used to be, while it's still, brilliantly musical. He could pass all the borders between Jazz and Classical singing faithfully. This is a CD that will not be boring to listen more and more..Thoroughly Recommended

Disregard the bitter 2 star reviews below. (Hint: You can tell by the nature of their complaints that these reviewers are probably miserable people in general.)

Thomas Quasthoff has SOUL: You hear it in his cantatas, you hear it in his lieder, and you hear it in his jazz. Yes, JAZZ.

Thomas Quasthoff must have reached a certain benchmark in sales at Deutsche Grammophon to be allowed this indulgence, another unnecessary crossover CD from a media-feted classical singer.

Oy, but a great classical singer he's not. And he's even a worse jazz singer. As this collection shows, he has listened to his Ella Fitzgerald records faithfully enough to imitate her breathy, conversational delivery in the middle register, while lacking her innate sense of coloring and rubato. His is a dull, foursquare delivery, which he consciously tries to loosen by issuing a pathetic growl now and then to prove he's gettin' down. And just the SOUND of his voice, its timbre, in this conversational register is patently unpleasant. As mentioned above, his overcompensation with r's and with certain vowels makes his delivery even more studied and stilted.

However, when he soars above the staff, as he does in "You and I," his voice gains considerably in power and beauty. This happens all too infrequently, unfortunately.

The song program contains some real clunkers, such as "Secret Love," "There's a Boat That's Leavin' Soon for New York," and the execrable "My Funny Valentine." Just compare Thom's "What are You Doing the Rest of Your Life" to Barbra's (from the "Way We Were" album) to see how straight and uninspired our German friend's rendition is. "In My Solitude" is almost unlistenable.

To this CD's credit, I must compliment the luscious, clear sound of the recording and the judiciously crafted orchestral arrangements. Ultimately, though, this is just another one of those vocal crossover albums that will end up in the cut-out bins with scores of others already gathering dust.

Quasthoff has a phenomenal voice, but he should keep his day job. He is not a jazz singer. Although this may be some German idea of jazz, it isn't jazz, and the musicians do not seem to understand jazz at all. The songs are not sung or played like jazz, and many of the songs are nowhere near jazz at all. If "Secret Love" is jazz, Doris Day must be Billie Holiday in disguise. This is a novelty piece, but one listening is a gracious plenty; I stopped sooner.