Customer Reviews

Lazy Afternoon

5 star:		(151)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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!

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.

It' s fair to say that the people of the Music Industry are a fickle bunch and often fully divided in their contrasting opinions of where lies the future of modern musical talent ( or , most of times , where is the gold mine which may exploited in the most profitable and commercial way ).

As rare as it is that these experts will agree on anything, it's interesting and refreshing to see that amongst them we currently have an artist that everybody is talking up with considerable acclaim as the modern reincarnation of Billie Holiday - the adorable and incomparable Regina Belle.

Of course the reason for this comparison is immediately apparent upon hearing this great lady's dulcet tones - soft, lilting, soulful, persuasive, immediately reminiscent of Lady Day but with a modern edge, it's the sort of liquid voice that soothes your brow and caresses your tired brain.

The 41 year old songstress has produced an album of soulful and sensual jazz covers that is just the perfect antidote to hectic modern life, leaving the listener wanting more..

This is a side of the artist that has been present in everything she ever recorded, and deserves the focus it receives here. In these dark times in the early 21st century, these are songs from the American songbook delivered by a true American original.

The highlights here are Ms. Belle's textbook reading of Tony Bennett's "Why Do People Fall In Love" and "If I Ruled The World", and her deeply moving version of the Gershwins' " The Man I Love " .

To sum up then, this palpable excitement is actually 100% pure diamond warranted - buy it now and tell your friends in a smug tone how you discovered it.

It's almost impossible to know where to turn at the moment if you are happy riding the wave of resurgent " accessible " jazz.
Jamie Cullum, Diana Krall and Michael Buble have all contributed to an upsurge in the popularity and the listenability of jazz. And you can add Regina Belle to the pile.
Belle is similar to Krall in that she doesn't only revisit jazz standards, and that she often takes quite big risks by completely reshaping a song, as a listen to the Gershwins' " The Man I Love" will amply confirm.
On the whole, the risk-taking pays out handsomely, with some excellent tracks, well-arranged and excellently performed.
The sublime Regina Belle has a prodigious jazz voice and has a backing band plainly in tune with where she wanted to take this album.
"Why Do People Fall In Love " is for me the stand-out track.
In an age of such mass produced commercial garbage in the music world it is unusual to come across such a great uncompromising honest album that works. Every track just hits the button.
Regina Belle is clearly a musical genius and will surely become a legend.
Well , she is already a LEGEND....
What a fantastic album!
I was recommended this by a friend and I just can't get enough of it. Regina's singing and phrasing is so exquisite, so moving and so enjoyable. This album is a genuine mix of styles and moods, all of which she combines masterfully.
This is one of those rare albums where you never have to use the skip button, as each track is such a joy, revealing something new on each listen.
Just magnificent - a real treat!
As it was to me, I strongly recommend you check this album out. It is not often you can claim to have found something fresh, new and exciting, but this album truly stands out. An absolute gem just waiting to be discovered.

Male jazz vocalists would do well to take a note of the fact that a veritable army of jazzy ladies are beating them at their own game.When we consider the spread of male vocal talent on the scene today,we can barely perceive a whisker of a difference between a Harry Connick Jr.,a Michael Buble',a Jamie Cullum or a Peter Cincotti.

It's all good,but sometimes the sheer volume on similar material becomes overwhelming. Crossing over to the feminine side,however,I can see the broad range from Cassadra Wilson,through Diana Krall and onward to Norah Jones.

Somewhere along the way,woven into that rich tapestry,is Regina Belle.

She is a superior and successful R&B songstress who has taken advantage of an often commented upon `jazzy' feel to her LIVE performances to produce a highly original album.

True to its hybrid,innovative nature,'LAZY AFTERNOON' takes in an impressive spread of genres and influences,from Broadway to Soul by way of the Isley brothers and some original material. The songs featured may be familiar,but the arrangements are fresh and often surprising.

Regina is well known mostly for her Grammy-award winning performance along with Peabo Bryson on `A Whole New World',the theme to Disney's Alladin.Her success here points towards a flair for polished performances,which serves her well as she interprets such frequently recorded classics such as"`Fly Me To The Moon".I read somewhere,some months back,that Michael Buble' lamented his decision to record this tune using the same arrangement as Sinatra,recognising that he may have descended into mere pastiche whilst not adding anything new to the song.

In Regina's hands, the piece is stripped of any hint of swing and becomes something fluid,full of emphatic and heartfelt interpretation.It's elegantly performed without being bland.It's interesting that Regina cites Tony Bennett as a key influence on her jazz work.She seems keen to pay `hommage' to the man by way of the material that she records,yet she makes that stuff profoundly HER own. `If I Ruled The World' is removed from its famous punchy crispness by a languid,nostalgic,smooth arrangement that makes the most of Regina's well honed R&B vocal skills.

It's just those extraordinary vocal talents that contribute most to the quality of `Lazy Afternoon' as a recording. Regina intended this CD to be something very personal,and she achieves this through the expressiveness of her voice. Her ability for lyrical interpretation reinforces her unique vocal sounds and the producer/arranger/pianist George Duke (this album is his masterpiece,as well) is right to firmly foreground her voice in the mix.The rich depth and tone that she possesses is shown to great effect on "Why People Fall in Love?" while the dark classic " Moanin' " showcases her expressive range well. She manages to put a very personal veneer on " Try A Little Tenderness" and definitely gets through to the sentiment of the Gershwin standard " The Man I Love".

She does,however,like to build to a big finish and,honestly, I have to admit that many may find her vocal gymnastics,in the style of fading divas Celine Dion and Mariah Carey,maybe a little too...much. Often I feel as if she should go for a the more understated approach of communicating the lyric to the listener,something for which she clearly has an immense gift,rather than giving her vocal chords a workout.I assume,though,that if you possess a big,fantastic voice, you want to use it,and I can forgive Regina a little self-indulgence,giving her fresh yet personal versions of the songs.

The invigorated freshness that she gives to the tunes is enhanced by her choice of collaborators.George Duke helps Belle to write `There's A Love",the gospel tinged,lively,sole original song on the CD. He also provides great backing for Regina's singing,most notably on the delicate,poignant " If I Should Lose You".

The vocal harmonies created by Regina along with the Perri Sisters hit the right spot,too,especially on " The Love I Lost/For The Love Of You".

Overall the album is a QUALITY recording that manages to be smooth and polished,yet original.She definitely wears herR&B heart on her sleeve,but in doig so she injects some character and personal touches into jazz songs which may have become a little stale through their frequent covers.

This is an album by an extremely talented songstylist that goes beyond the ordinary,

confounding the impression that R&B and Jazz have both become bland and formulaic by daringly and quite successfully crossing the boundaries between the two musical genres.

All this from an explanatory point of view...From the...emotional point of view,well...the CD counts 64 minutes of pure joy and delight .

With this new stellar production finally Regina Belle finds the right chords to express her huge talent: her previous two efforts left me pretty much disappointed,with sappy pop songs unable to reveal the fire and the beauty of her marvelous voice. Thankfully this time Mr. George (Genius) Duke takes command of a beautiful ship, gathering for this project the best guys around, a dream band with Everett Harp, Christian McBride, Ray Fuller, Lenny Castro, Perri (wow, these ladies are really incredible with their inspired backup) among the others. The album concept is a r&b revisiting of great american jazz (and not only) standards: the results is a jazzy, soulful, smooth and beautifully crafted collecton of songs, with Mrs. Belle flying high, bending notes but respecting the original beauty of the melodies nevertheless, taking you to a perfect trip to the land of bliss.... There's no one favorite here, all the songs are simply superb and every note of this album hits the spot and embraces your heart with immense pleasure.
If I have to choose among the gems of this cd, right now I'd go for the up tempo of "If I ruled the world", but also the great duet Belle-Duke fr voice and piano only with "If I should lose you" takes my breath away. And the unrehearsed "For the love of you" brings back memories of real music. Don't miss this one, one of the best works this year ( what about a Grammy nomination?)

Call me cynical, but when a successful recording artist, who isn't quite as successful as she once was, releases a new album which marks a rapid change of direction, you have to wonder why. In this case my fears were unfounded. This is quite simply a superb album and is probably Regina's best yet. "Regina" means "Queen" in Latin, and she sure deserves the title of "Queen of jazz"!
"Lazy Afternoon" doesn't have the naive charm and the catchiness of her earlier albums "Stay With Me" or "All By Myself", but makes up for it with something else...top quality jazz standards. She doesn't quite keep up the same level throughout the album, but don't let a few very original and never-heard-before covers put you off. On the whole, it's excellent. Yes, you've heard these songs before, but they never sounded like this!

Forget for a moment the syrupy sweetnes of the latest ones by Carly Simon (Moonlight Serenade) and by Patti Labelle ( Classic Moments)....which, by the way, are way less pricey than this one (and I really don't understand why Amazon is doing that..!! Amazon and the recording label should make it more affordable so that more music lovers can buy it).

"Lazy Afternoon" is a strikingly beautiful and rich collection of standards from Broadway and the great American Song Book. Highlights range from the intimate "If I Should Lose You"- just Regina and the piano - to the big productions of "Why Do People Fall In Love" and "If I Ruled The Wold".
Other stand-out tracks include the title track with its infectious back-up vocals by the Perri Sisters and the stunning single, "What Are You Afraid Of", which eloquently showcases Regina's powerful vocal range and modern stylings.
Regina is back with a bang!!!

Why do record companies put so much of their money and energy into creating acts that are hugely, but only briefly, successful?
Sooner or later the record industry will have to throw out its current business model, because listeners are more and more aware of the quality of CDs that they may or want to buy.
Just let's think about this fantastic vocalist, at the peak of her splendour and artistic maturity.
To date, as for as Ms.Belle's music is concerned, nothing has changed .Her style, her range, her class : the modern reincarnation of Billie Holiday.
She sings, they listen and nothing else matters but the music.
The healing touch will always be there...
This CD is a masterpiece, and a sample of a class act, which remains untouched by the highest and greatest accolades.
Piano/keyboard master and producer George Duke assembles an all-star lineup for this romantic and soulful contemporary soul/jazz album.
This album is a perfect mix of instrumentals and vocals that provides all the music you need for a romantic night.
On first listening, you can't say that you are immediately taken only by her gorgeous and powerful voice.
It takes a little more time and after a while you are addicted to this top-notch CD.
The combination of Soul/Jazz was always going to be a winner and this CD proves the point in spectacular fashion.
Regina's startling technical virtuosity is obvious but she is also a wonderfully musical artist and retains a lyrical grace at even the most searing tempos.
The beautiful standards are equally compelling and are interspersed with well-chosen traditional R&B/smooth jazz material.
This disc is really UNIQUE in its own right !
Far removed from the clever beats and big-name producers that mark most fashion-conscious hopefuls , Regina's brand of Jazz luxuriates in honey-sweet harmonies and smouldering sexy grooves.
I am glad to notice that LAzY AFTERNOON is still on heavy rotation on jazz radio stations and well received by web buyers, despite the bad start due to a total lack of promotion.
Quality speaks for itself!!
It's just a matter of time.
Regina Belle uses all her skills, her sultry delivery and her accumulated musical acumen : you can't resists her.
LAZY AFTERNOON is refreshing enough to carry the singer far beyond the inner circle of R&B aficionados who claim her as their own.
It's a front-runner for Jazz/Soul/Lounge disc of our days.

Despite her immense talent and the issue of this highly recommended and critically acclaimed album, she has not garnered quite the same level of attention or sales as her peers like Queen Latifah or Anita Baker, Diana Krall or Norah Jones.
According to me, she outclasses them all !
Regina has a smooth, golden voice, and has a knack of phrasing that is individual without being eccentric, rendering much-covered songs in a manner uniquely her own.
Her material covers a tremendous range, from full band numbers to diva ballads, through soulful jazz/blues and passionate love songs.
She is superbly comfortable with all these styles, and full marks must go to her musicians and arranger who have got everything spot on; it is very smooth and polished, but it is dynamic when it needs to be, so that the music feels alive. And all of the instrumentation is real.
This is a highly accomplished and enjoyable album. It's not easy listening though, but classy and sensitive at its best..
Its appeal grows on you with repeated listening and deserves top rating.
It's not a jazz or soul album, and I suspect that its listing in one or the other category might have put some people off. Musically mature listeners will understand what I'm talking about.
Perhaps some jazz purists might not agree with me, but I have no hesitation in reccommending it highly to one and all.
The new generation of singers who are crazed by the "American Idol" mania, should refer to this album as a "text book" of musical phrasing and interpretation.