Lazy Afternoon

Regina Belle | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 13, 2004)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Peak Records
• ASIN: B0002A2W9K
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (159 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #56,976 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Japanese pressing of the soul-jazz vocalist's 2004 album includes one bonus track 'Lazy Afternoon' (Remix). JVC. --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

253 of 256 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars She has taken us by storm and is here to stay forever.JAZZ!, July 13, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Lazy Afternoon (Audio CD)

This very 'special' and enthralling album features some of the finest jazz musicians around such as George Duke on keyboards,Christian McBride and Alex Al on bass,Ray Fuller and Dean Parks on guitar,Gordon Campbell on drums,Lenny Castro on percussion,Everette Harp - saxes,Oscar Brashear - trumpet, the fabulous Perri Sisters - background vocals.They are all shooting for the richest and lushest sound possible !
If you add to those fantastic ingredients the supernatural voice and the soulful,classy phrasing
of Regina,you'll get what you're looking for...a slice of perfection !!
Best tracks of the album :IF I SHOULD LOSE YOU and WHY DO PEOPLE FALL IN LOVE.
TRUE MASTERPIECES !!The latter one takes me back to another majestic classic 'What goes around' from her album 'Stay with me'.
It these songs do not move and touch you,you are six feet under !!
We all know HOW she can sing passion,feelings, emotions..It will make you sing,it will make you dance,it will make you...fall in love !!
As you may have heard,the truly GREAT albums almost always take multiple listenings to be really and fully appreciated,and this is is in every sense the case of 'LAZY AFTERNOON'.
Definitely,this organic,risky,splendid album marks the return to the charts ( for justice's sake and for the peace of mind of all the true lovers of quality,non-commercial music ) of an authentic,consistent Diva in great fashion and her irresistible rise to the top of the game as one of the most acclaimed and influential song-stylists/vocalists on the market.
So,take your time and get ready to be enchanted !

Thinking about the 'making' of the magnificent 'Lazy Afternoon',
I came to believe that this is the hardest album she's ever made.
With it,the adventurous song-stylist has set a totally new trend for Jazz/Soul Vocals.
So intense,engaging,very original in the concept,diverse.
...and all that jazz...!!
Why don't you check her new site:
www.reginabelleonline.com
WARNING !! This album is NOT for everybody !Its extreme,warm,exuberant beauty may be hazardous and you may be...poisoned !! ONLY for educated listeners !If you like the easy,samey,heartless singing of Natalie Cole,the glittering and simpering sex-pop of Beyonce,the croaky,weak,lacklustre,butcher-style vocal tricks of Rod Stewart, the grand-las-vegas histrionics of Celine Dion,the current saccharine flow of smooth jazz or the cold,algid embrace of Diana Krall,this album is NOT for you!
NOT for the jazz fundamentalist or R&B purist,but for those of us who enjoy breathy,new,heartfelt,fresh workings of traditional Soul/Jazz singing.

237 of 240 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Smoothjazz.com Review, July 26, 2004

By 

Sandy Shore (Monterey, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lazy Afternoon (Audio CD)

Words that come to mind while listening to LAZY AFTERNOON, the latest from R&B/Jazz Diva Regina Belle are: exquisite, pure, delightful and enthralling. This new release on Peak Records is sure to hold the demanding attention of audiophiles with Ms. Belle's supremely divine voice, compelling song selection and the spacious, open recording style. This classy project, produced and arranged by George Duke,will be an instant hit with music enthusiasts everywhere who appreciate such a stellar performance. You may recall, Barbra Streisand had a similarly lush recording of songs from 'The Great American Songbook' back in 1975 surrounding the tune "Lazy Afternoon." Regina Belle with George Duke alongside, take on the great songs of the Isley Brothers, Jobim, the Gershwins, among others and simply spice up the arrangements a bit, then stay out of the way. It's with great ease and grace that this CD unfolds. The attention to detail is unbelievable... From the order of songs ("If I Ruled The World" seamlessly melts into "Corcovado"), to the consciousness of the instruments (Everette Harp's tasteful sax, Ray Fuller's sophisticated guitar, Lenny Castro's acclaimed percussion and of course, the articulate piano of George Duke). For some reason "For The Love Of You" is the most popular remake as of late, but nobody's putting it down like Regina with the Perry girls on harmonies. Also of note, the Gospel-tinged version of "Moanin'," the first-person version of "Try A Little Tenderness" and the kickin' it cool, title track. Get your copy today!

42 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great smooth jazz with competent vocals, July 16, 2006

By 

Olukayode Balogun (Leeds, England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lazy Afternoon (Audio CD)

I've never really paid much attention to Regina Belle though there's no doubt that she's a gifted and competent singer. I bought her 1987 release "All By Myself" and her 1989 "Stay With Me" but then the 90s came. Given the kind of music Belle was popular for at the time, she just got swept clean off my radar in the wave of the likes of Janet, Mariah, Mary J and of course, Whitney.

Then my best friend told me about this album. My ears really didn't perk up until he mentioned that it was jazz-influenced and produced by George Duke. I didn't need to hear any more and I immediately placed my order.

It doesn't disappoint. Most of the album is made up of Broadway covers and standards and the issue with going this route - especially where standards are concerned - is that someone has obviously done them before you. So, for instance, for me, "Lazy Afternoon" will always mean Patti Austin, "Fly Me To The Moon" will always mean Frank Sinatra, "Corcovado" to me means Stan Getz, "The Man I Love" means Ella Fitzgerald, "Try A Little Tenderness" will always be All Jarreau's song and "For The Love Of You" will always be Whitney Houston's - or maybe, the Isley Brothers', depending on what mood I'm in. My point being, I think you need to be really, really good (apart from the aforementioned, think Diana Krall or maybe Michael Bublé) to make your own impression on a song that has come to be closely identified with someone else. Belle gives it her best shot here though and her interpretations are well crafted and sincere. Hers is not my favourite female vocal and even in this genre, I prefer the likes of Anita Baker or Rachelle Ferrell, but it's easy enough on the ear to make this collection of songs enjoyable.

The magic of this album though is in its production and George Duke, as always, has spread his brilliance all over it. He plays keyboards on the entire album and with able help from the likes of Alex Al and Christian McBride on bass, Dean Parks on guitar, Lenny Castro on percussion and Everette Harp on sax, from a smooth jazz perspective, this is as near to gold as it gets. Even the Perry sisters are in the house to lend great background vocal support. It's also worth mentioning that there is one original song, "There's A Love" and when Belle breaks it down as she does on "For The Love Of You" (vocals and fender rhodes only) and "If I Should Lose You" (just vocal and piano) she seems to revel in the freedom she's allowed and really allows her voice to shine. My favourite song on the album though is "If I Ruled The World".

This is by far the best album Regina Belle has done so far, in my view and it's one of the better - and probably underrated - releases of 2004. So if you're into George Duke or Regina Belle you'll like this. You'll love it if you're into them both.