Language of Love

Vanessa Rubin | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 25, 1999)
• Original Release Date: May 25, 1999
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Telarc
• ASIN: B00000J5Z1
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #273,822 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Love for Sale

2. I Didn't Know About You

3. The Way He Makes Me Feel

4. Caravan

5. Fantastic Episode

6. Nice 'N' Easy

7. Early Autumn

8. If I Should Lose You

9. Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye

10. Corcovado

11. The Summer Knows

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Vanessa Rubin has never received the attention that Cassandra Wilson, Dianne Reeves, or Diana Krall have, despite being regularly lauded by many of the wise old instrumental heads in jazz. Here she embraces classic material, the likes of "Love for Sale," "I Didn't Know About You," "If I Should Lose You," "Everytime We Say Goodbye," and "The Summer Knows" among the 11 tracks. Her good company this time out includes pianist George Colligan, bassist Richie Goods, drummer Dwayne "Cook" Broadnax, and special guests Billy Higgins on drums, Freddy Cole on vocals, and Henry Johnson on guitar. Rubin and company freshen up the familiars with clever arrangements and melodious playing. Clearly more comfortable in this environment than in the R&B crossover realm that's intrigued her in the 1990s, Rubin has a jazzy lilt back in her voice. Of special note is her unusual treatment of the classic "Corcovado," taken at a languid tempo that allows the lyrics to breathe, bringing a new level of aching, longing pathos to Antonio Carlos Jobim's exquisite tune, perhaps a nod to Rubin's slow-singing Cleveland homeboy Jimmy Scott. Throughout the record, pianist Colligan's role is a key, his accompaniment doing more to increase Rubin's sense of challenge than merely making things comfortable. --Willard Jenkins

From Jazziz

"For me, it's about the magic, and magic comes in so many different shapes and forms," says vocalist Vanessa Rubin about her new CD, Language of Love. "It's not just scatting and improvising. It's not a formula." As if to prove her point, Rubin tackles a variety of styles on her new CD, singing standards like "Love for Sale" and more unusual songs such as "The Way You Make Me Feel," a tune made famous by Michael Jackson.

--- JAZZIZ Magazine Copyright © 2000, Milor Entertainment, Inc.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Overall, another good effort from Miss Rubin, June 21, 1999

By 

"mtaylor830" (Richmond, Virginia USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Language of Love (Audio CD)

After five recordings for Novus, vocalist Vanessa Rubin has moved on to the Telarc Jazz label, and her debut here finds her returning to her jazz roots. Rubin's last CD for Novus, "New Horizons," was an interesting and for the most part successful push for a more R&B-flavored sound. My feelings about "Languaage of Love" are somewhat more mixed. Things get off to a rather weak start with two standards, Cole Porter's "Love For Sale" and Duke Ellington's "I Didn't Know About You." Both sound more like warm-up sessions rather than finished products. Luckily, things get better as this CD progresses. The highlight is "Fantastic Episode," a scat romp in which Rubin really cooks. There are also two nice duets with Freddy Cole that bring back fond memories of Louis and Ella. Rubin also offers a heartfelt "Early Autumn" and her reworking of "Corcovado" is quite imaginative.