Customer Reviews

Live At The Plush Room

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I was first attracted to Jacqui Naylor when I heard her on a local morning show. Seeing this gorgeous lady the first thing in the morning was not only one way to start the day, but then I heard her sing and I was hooked. I ran out and bought tickets to her Plush Room Show.

Jacqui has a style that is close to jazz, but has some blues and cabaret as well, making her an artist than can appeal to a wide variety of tastes. Her voice at first sounds like a little girl, but she can fool you and get down waaaay loooowww. The highlight of this CD is "Ain't No Sunshine" which is not only true to Bill Withers' fine version but in many ways surposses the original. "I got the Sun in the Morning" is another highlight and is one she uses in her live shows to end on a high note. I also loved "It Could Happen to You". But really, all the songs on this CD are excellent and will give you a good idea of what it is like to hear her live.

If you do hear her live, three songs not to miss are Pink Floyd's "Money" which she keeps true to the original - right down to the lyrics. "So Far Away" the Carole King song, is perforemd with heart and soul and her arrangement is better than the original. The showstopper is "I'm a Mean and Evil Woman" where she really lets herself go. Too bad none of these are on this CD but perhaps she'll find room for them in the next one.

jacqui has teriffic stage presence as well. She is amiable and almost humble on stage and never fails to give acknowledgement to her quartet - who are pretty darn good when they are given the chance to do solos.

The only thing better than listening to Jacqui Naylor's "Live at the Plush Room" is to see her in person.

If you are really into jazz standards, I doubt you would like this. But if you are finally opening up to the nu jazz standards, this is the one. You may have heard the latest from the phenomena of Norah Jones who created the confusion of folksy-bluesy-country-kinda-jazz(whether or not you like her) but this is much stronger, deeper, sexier. "Ain't No Sunshine" sounds something out of Joan Osborne who sang "One of Us".
Well, take it or leave it but I love this lady. I haven't heard much of her but she has the ultimate momentum of becoming the next big thing.
Norah Jones has Eva Cassidy; Jacqui Naylor has Etta James.

I love this record! Jacqui has that something that makes me feel better when I am feeling down...a certain honesty I think that comes through in her voice and her music. I heard there is a new recording soon to be out and can't wait to hear it. If "I Remember You", the single from it, is any indication of the vibe and the caliber of writing on that record...I'm there.

She has a lot of soul and sings like an angel with an edge! I really appreciate the chances she takes with her music and feel that while I know she is a jazz singer, she sings standards in a really hip and interesting way. Her voice sounds a bit like Billie Holiday in that soothing kind of way sometimes but mostly she just sounds like her...like she is telling a story and no matter what kind of story she is telling...a standard, a rock cover or an original...she means it!

I also like that she tries to do good things with her music like helping to keep music in the schools and getting involved with artists against AIDS. I think that is really admirable and probably not easy to do in the entertainment business.

One more pet peeve of mine...for a live recording this is actually done quite well. I am a big jazz fan and I have a lot of live recordings where I love the music but the recording drives me crazy so I really appreciate the care that was taken in selecting these live tracks and putting them together in a way that really flows.

I can't listen to this CD enough and can't wait to hear what's next from this exceptional artist!

On the liner notes to the CD, Ms. Naylor thanks the Plush Room for giving her the opportunity "..to show the world how much I love to sing." It's clear that she does, and enjoys every minute of it. Lots of Jazz standards we have all heard hundreds of times before, but she makes them well worth another listen. She is backed by an excellent band; there are several exquisite piano solos throughout the record. This is a well-recorded live CD; it puts you right in the middle of the proverbial smoky jazz club. If you are a straight-ahead Jazz fan, this is the CD for you. Mix up the martinis, sit back, and enjoy.

I had the awesome opportunity to be a part of the recent show at the Plush Room in San Francisco where Jacqui and other artists donated their time and talents to raise funds and awareness for the Orphans in Africa Crusade. My two favorite tracks from the Plush Room CD are #2 Ain't No Sunshine and #9 Playing your game. Her style is unique in the sense that she keeps taking chances with the material and her voice. She has a lot of soul in her bones and I'd like to hear her do more R&B flavored stuff in the future. This is a wonderful album for those who think they don't like jazz. This is Neo-Jazz and it rocks. It's only a matter of time before she blasts into the universe!

p.s. she looks just as good in person as she does on her website.

This is an enjoyable CD, Jacqui Naylor has a great sultry sound, not unlike the great Billie Holiday. The reason for the four stars is that the recording is very heavy in the bass. I find to enjoy this disk fully, I have to lower the bass way down. I imagine the issue is related to this being a live recording. I urge jazz fans to buy this disk and enjoy this young talent.

I was fortunate enough to have caught Jacqui Naylor live just weeks ago. This album captures the almost indescribable, intimately magic touch that she obviously commands with audiences. I enthusiastically recommend this album, along with "Shelter", which shows off her range of compositional skills and a different, non-traditional jazz, (at times almost trip-hoppy/new rock) sound and fascinating reworkings of popular rock songs. She is a genuine artist who has earned all the accolades.

I heard Ain't No Sunshine as a digital download and bought the record. Many nice surprises on this CD! She has that comfortable Norah Jones vibe but with more soul and jazz. When this voice hits...it will be big!

Singing live presents the artist exposed and without a safety net: we hear their voice outside studio manipulation and in a spontaneous setting. Too often artists dont measure up: they either ape their recordings or prove to be an uninspired live performer.

As good as Jacqui is in the studio, she excels in a live setting. She is dynamic and, my, how she can swing (Blue skies). Frequently as in Aint No Sunshine she ends songs in a decrescendo so that the singing blends perfectly with the ensuing silence: it makes you want to savor the moment rather than to clap and destroy the mood. Her singing on songs like My baby just cares for me can be very sexy. Throughout the performance Bob Johnson on tenor is a perfect foil for her singing: supportive, pushing, swinging... Others have noted the Billie Holiday connection: occasionally in the middle of a song youll hear phrasing that is startling in how it reminds you of Billie. She doesnt sing like Billie Holiday (no one could) but once in a while youre reminded of her. I know of no greater compliment.

Jacqui sings I got the sun in the morning and the moon at night. We are fortunate that with this CD we have Jacqui live, all to ourselves, all day long.

Remember those moth wings? Well prepare for a toasting as Ms Naylor turns up the heat and thrills us with this live recording. Take a seat, I'll order you a Martini, stop the world and savour a while that reflective mellow lushness in her voice. This is no flight of fancy, this is performer at one with her art, undaunted by a live setting, no safety net, no retakes. A medium she quite obviously favours and excels in. Like a gently babbling brook on its journey to the sea her voice carries you along, ebbing and flowing sure in its path. This is food for the soul and if, your like me, and have not had the opportunity to experience her talent live this recording gives you a subtle but not understated flavour of the audience experience. Listening to the applause and rapture tells you'd be left with the desire to slow the hands of time to an imperceptible pace, a chance for a while to savour her alluring charm. Her performance has an almost childlike quality, her voice toying and teasing, producing a sound that is both rich and sweet. Soft and beguiling but don't be fooled, ever the enchantress she will bedazzle you with her mastery of those classics such as "Love Me Or Leave Me" or, my undoing, that wonderful heady "My Baby Just Cares For Me". I still have "Lazybones" from her first album going around my head, this lady is classy and knows how to leave a lasting impression. Special mention should go to Michael Bluestein's first rate keywork on this recording, quite beautiful but then who could be anything else than stunning when your working with an artist such as Jacqui. I'd like to comment also on Bob Johnson's tireless brilliance on the saxophone but I'm afraid my contract with the Devil prevents me from doing so.