Melissa Kassel Quintet "Live At The Acton Jazz Cafe" [Live]

Melissa Kassel Quintet | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 1, 2000)
• Original Release Date: September 15, 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Live
• ASIN: B000050I9M
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #724,153 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. You Don't Know What Love Is

2. Go Away Little Boy

3. Close To You

4. My Little Tune

5. Honeysuckle Rose

6. He Was Too Good To Me

7. Bye Bye Blackbird

8. Cry Me A River

9. For Kim

10. Somewhere Over the Rainbow

Editorial Reviews

DEBUT RECORDING "MELISSA KASSEL QUINTET LIVE AT THE ACTON JAZZ CAFÉ" (MSK 115) CAPTURES THE HEART AND SOUL OF A BOSTON DIVA

In this live outing Melissa Kassel, accompanied by some of Boston's finest jazz players presents a mixed bag of standards and originals, all branded with her unique blend of pearlescent sensuality and ruminative sensibility.

Backing up Ms. Kassel are Tim Ray (Lyle Lovett, Gary Burton) on keyboards, John Lockwood (Joe Henderson, Freddie Hubbard) on bass, Bob Gullotti (George Garzone, Kenny Werner) on drums, and Phil Grenadier (Freddie Hubbard, Ella Fitzgerald) on trumpet. This recording catches the quintet on a hot night, as they present a perfect balance of powerful ensemble playing, sensitive backups and great soloing.

An interpreter of songs in the best sense of the term, Melissa Kassel has an ability to penetrate into the core of a song and transform it into a fresh and personal statement. The King/Geffin classic "Go Away Little Girl" when turned into "Go Away Little Boy" becomes a startling statement of female longing, while "You Don't Know What Love Is" is full of suppressed anger and bitterness. Her sensitivity to the nuances of words is especially apparent in her rendition of Rogers and Hart's "He Was Too Good to Me" which becomes an elegant musing on regret. The original track, "For Kim" (a eulogy to a lost friend) is an all too brief and lovely tone poem. All is not dark though; there's a playful side to Melissa Kassel too. "Bye Bye Blackbird" and "Honeysuckle Rose" have all the caprice and fun of a kitten with a ball of twine.

Melissa Kassel moved to Boston as an avid student of jazz, eager to learn at the feet of the many masters who teach in that city. (--and she has dedicated the CD to them.) Since then, she has become a mother, and she has put down firm roots in that city. She performs regularly at the Acton Jazz Café, and she was nominated as "Best Jazz Vocalist" in the 1998 Boston Music Awards.

For further information contact

Muse-Eek Recording Company 212-473-7030 [e-mail]

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars True Artists, January 6, 2001

By 

Christina Piscitelli (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Melissa Kassel Quintet "Live At The Acton Jazz Cafe" (Audio CD)

All of the musicians on the Melissa Kassel Quintet CD are true artists. It is a pleasure to finally hear a vocalist using her voice as an instrument, playing in and out of the rhythms and melodies of the other musicians. The original pieces are quite beautiful. Overall I find this CD a pleasure to own.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A breath of fresh air, January 5, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Melissa Kassel Quintet "Live At The Acton Jazz Cafe" (Audio CD)

I found this CD to be a real treat. I love jazz vocals BUT I'm so tired of hearing the same renditions of the same songs over and over. If your like me and are looking for something different then Ms. Kassel is the answer. She's not avante garde but she does take chances. She also has an amazing ability to take tunes that I have heard hundreds of singers sing and give it a twist I had never heard. I'm also am enjoying Ms. Kassel ability to bring out the essence of a song through her interpretation of the lyrics. She really can give a song a special character.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars MELISSA KASSEL IS AN OUTSTANDING JAZZ VOCALIST, January 13, 2001

By 

A. Lawrence "ALaw" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Melissa Kassel Quintet "Live At The Acton Jazz Cafe" (Audio CD)

The breathy, warm and soulful sounds you hear on this album come from Melissa Kassel, one of the most supurb vocalists I have heard in years. Being a student of Melissa's, I know she sings from the heart, with a great passion for her technique and quest for vocal perfection. Her calm and soothing voice rings proudly on this album, which will be a keeper for many years. Outstanding.