More Than Words Can Say

Stevie Holland | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 23, 2006)
• Original Release Date: May 23, 2006
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: 150 Music
• ASIN: B000FDEDIM
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #376,350 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Whole Lot More Stevie Holland This Time!, May 23, 2006

By 

Grady Harp (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: More Than Words Can Say (Audio CD)

Stevie Holland is such a rewarding artist, a singer with smarts who believes in her lyrics, the owner of a voice capable both of the softest caress of sadness or reverie and the joyous brassiness of sass! She is simply wonderful - by anyone's standards.

For those fortunate enough to own her other fine CDs this new release will not come as a shock: we have all been well prepared for Stevie's intuitive approach to songs both new and old and have a firm hold on her 'style'...or do we? On this collection of both known and not so well known selections she is again abetted by the fine work of Gary William Friedman who has arranged, orchestrated (yes, folks, full orchestra this time around!) and conducted the ensemble. Not that all of the tracks are luxuriously big orchestra: she still respects her jazz musicians who back her - no, collaborate with her - with polished élan.

Everyone will have particular favorites (if you can actually separate them into an order...), but for this listener it's hard to better her rendition of Antonio Carlos Jobim's 'Desafinado', sung in English with a flair that will make you forget the original. But then there is also Jerome Kern's haunting 'Yesterdays', and a really fine take on Lerner and Lowe's 'If ever I would leave you', a song written for a man, but Stevie now owns it.

This is a first class CD with a terrific body of music sung by one sophisticated lady! The title of the album really tells the truth about what awaits you inside. Highly recommended. Grady Harp, May 06

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Smoothjazz.com Review, June 15, 2006

By 

Sandy Shore (Monterey, CA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: More Than Words Can Say (Audio CD)

A colorful career of cabaret and theater leads Stevie to jazz... MORE THAN WORDS CAN SAY is a solid, swinging, soulful collection of songs offering a diverse variety. Ms. Holland's latest release was arranged and orchestrated by award winning composer Gary William Friedman. This 12-song collection delves into classic jazz standards from the 1950's and 1970's, sprinkled with original compositions all handled with innovation and confidence. Strings enhance the artist's effortless vocals... A stylish, expressive singer; you might hear essences of Diana Krall and Marilyn Scott... We're buying what she's selling here with her creative and powerful attack on hits like "Only You," the iconic 50's smash and the opening track on MORE THAN WORDS CAN SAY. Stevie lays it down in a big way capturing the "Wow Factor." I enjoy this project... It commandingly meanders through the floral memories of the past including the show stopping, "If Ever I Would Leave You," never would I have imagined a jazz-fringed arrangement of this one, but it's stunning. The Smoothjazz.com Hot Pick is Stevie's stellar version of Kenny Loggin's "This Is It." The minute I heard it I thought to myself that it was curious that no one else considered covering this one... 'Til now. Stevie does it great justice and owns it. Contemporary, cool and classic. Truly, more than words can say, but I did my best to describe this unique and jazzy collection of songs and I hope enough to inspire you to listen for yourself. ~SANDY SHORE

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 5 Stars for the Singer, July 6, 2007

By 

Rick Cornell "RC" (Reno, Nv USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: More Than Words Can Say (Audio CD)

If memory serves, Christopher Loudon of "Jazz Times" said very nice things about Stevie Holland and this c.d. last year. I can't get to them all on time; but a friend recently advised that I really needed to get to this one.

What can I say, but thank you, compadre!

Stevie Holland is a terrific singer. She reminds me a lot of Ann Hampton Callaway and Jackie Ryan, both for the richness of her singing voice and for her range of styles. Whether a growling, shouting blues ("Only You"), standards jazz ("Day By Day" and "Desafinado"), cabaret ("If Ever I Would Leave You") or some killer originals ("Firefly" and "Evening Song"--both my favorites on this disc), Ms. Holland shines impressively.

The backup musicians are equally great. I'm not familiar with any of them, but everything sounds appropriate and accomplished. And Danny Lawrence and Sarah Register have done terrific jobs in recording, mixing, engineering and mastering this c.d. This is one that sounds great on a killer sound system!

When a c.d. sounds this good, though, the producer usually deserves the most kudos, and this disc is no exception. The producers here are Gary William Friedman and Tim Peierls, and Mr. Friedman did quintuple duty as arranger, orchestrator, conductor and on "Lovingly", "Evening Song" and the title track, songwriter. In many ways, this c.d. belongs as much to him as to Ms. Holland.

Nonetheless, there's a reason for the title of this review: it is Ms. Holland's voice, first and foremost, that distinguishes this album. My only critique of this c.d. is that it's another "here's 12 songs that I like" disc. I.e., what's it really all about? I've downgraded other discs for this reason. Not this time, though. Stevie Holland is too good, and this disc sounds too good, to downgrade for that reason.

I suspect that Stevie Holland--even though she's been around for awhile--has only scratched the surface. And this is a surface worth exploring. Highly recommended. RC