Customer Reviews

You and the Night and the Music

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I am so pleased to be the 6th reviewer of this, Jackie Ryan's fourth c.d. The record will reflect that I am the only one to review her first three discs on Amazon, and I believe there were two reviews apiece on each of those three (to date). The fact that I'm 6th on this one tells me that slowly, more and more people are being clued in to a fact: Jackie Ryan is one of the best non-classical singers in the world.

On the first three discs, what you hear is Jackie Ryan, blessed with a sultry, rich voice with a huge mezzo-soprano range, waxing beautifully in a variety of styles. While principally a jazz singer, she made her mark there (especially on "Passion Flower" and "This Heart of Mine") as a jazz reinterpreter of Hispanic/Portuguese art songs, most notably "La Historia de un Amor" on "Flower" and "Estate" and "Anos Dourandos" on "Heart."

She continues that specialty here only on a gorgeous read of "Besame Mucho." Otherwise, she expands her chops into jazz standards, and gets away from concert singing while exploring rhythmic and melodic variations.

What impresses me the most is how relaxed, how confident Ms. Ryan sounds. It's not that she's lost her power: listen to how she powers the note on the word "love" on "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To."

But to borrow from what might be said at London's Ronnie Scott's, where Ms. Ryan frequently plays, she has become "a compleat artist." Her lyrical phrasing on such gems as "Moonlight", "You Are There" (an utterly gorgeous duet with harpist Carol Robbins), and "While We're Young", and her playfulness on "I Just Found Out About Love", are just thrilling. And her roaring, musing and purring on the swinging "Let There Be Love" just make me smile.

The featured instrumentalist is the venerable Red Holloway; but for as remarkable as his senior-citizen licks are (especially on "Let There Be Love"), the instrumentalist (other than Ms. Robbins) who really grabs my attention here is Larry Koonse. He plays his guitar exquisitely on "Besame","Moonlight" and the set-ender duet, "Young". The others (Tamir Hendelman, p.; Jeff Hamilton, d; Christoph Luty, bs) likewise do first-rate work.

My only critique is the sound is a little dry. But actually, that's okay; the dryness of the sound actually lends to the feeling of relaxin, at midnight, in the moonlight, with the beautiful Jackie Ryan. That's the gestalt of this c.d., anyway, and a most worthy one at that. RC

Each of the 14 tracks that make up this extraordinary release portrays a particular emotional stage of a relationship -- from first loves to the last. Right from the opening flirtations of "You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To," (with the legendary Red Holloway igniting the session with his sassy sax) I knew I was in for a ride I'd never forget.

Jackie digs deep into all the powerful emotions of these great songs of passion. Everything is here -- from the electric excitement of "I Know That You Know" to the reckless abandon of "Wild As The Wind." All sung with an honesty and virtuosity rarely heard today. Whether love lasts a night, a year, or a lifetime, I could relate to all of the feelings she captures so well.

Red, who has swung with everyone from Billie Holiday to B.B. King, has never sounded better. As does GRAMMY Award-winner Jeff Hamilton on drums, budding genius Tamir Hendelman on piano, and all the strings: Christoph Luty on bass, Larry Koonse on guitar and Carol Robbins on harp (the last two both of my favorite configuration of the Billy Childs sextet).

EASILY ONE OF MY ALL-TIME TOP 10 CDs. I WILL PLAY IT 'TIL IT MELTS!

Dale Caldwell

"Extraordinary is the word! . . . A world-class talent. Jazz singing at its very best" ~ Don Heckman, Los Angeles Times ~

This is one of my all-time favorite CDs from my collection, Jackie Ryan's "You And The Night And The Music." It is a program of fourteen of timeless and best-loved standards, each interpreted in such a gorgeous fashion by Jackie Ryan showcasing her inimitable vocal prowess and elegant, sophisticated style of singing, which is her passport to be included on my list of impressive jazz divas of all-time.

In this album, she creates a heartfelt musical romance attracting music lovers with a kind of music that is deeply felt. Ms. Ryan is singing with her heart and soul as evident with her treatments of my top choices starting off with "Wild Is The Wind," featuring Tamir Hendelman on piano, the title track "You And The Night And The Music," "Besame Mucho," "Let There Be Love" and "You Are There."

Kudos to the exceptional instrumentations by the finest musicians in the history of jazz - Red Holloway (tenor sax), Tamir Hendelman (piano), Larry Koonse (guitar), Carol Robbins (harp), Jeff Hamilton (drums) and Christoph Luty (bass).

My number one personal choice from this impressive repertoire is an all-time favorite of mine, a song written by Ray Noble, "The Very Thought of You." She sings this in such a manner it was really meant to be sung with her impeccable and poetic vocal art - a kind of voice that is capable of projecting a wide range of emotion, passion and ardor.

"I see your face in every flower
Your eyes in stars above
It's just the thought of you
The very thought of you, my love"

With my heartfelt recommendation for your listening pleasure always and forever!

"If music be the food of love, play on." ~ William Shakespeare (1564-1616) ~

I recently heard the song "You Are There" on late-night radio (WGBH-FM Boston) and literally stopped what I was doing. Most beautiful thing I've heard in years. I've ordered the new CD from Amazon and can't wait to hear the rest. On the basis of "You Are There" alone, the purchase price is well worth it. So grateful to radio...if not for that, I would have missed out on a great singer who SHOULD be a big star!

Jackie Ryan is a woman who knows how to croon the low notes, soar to the high ones, and make each word as meaningful as each lyricist intended. This is a woman who understands joy, sadness, thrill, and love, baby, real love, and her voice emotes vividly. Backed by a stellar group of superb musicians, Jackie Ryan sets the foot a tappin', the heart a beatin' and the memories re-runnin' about the best of life and love come alive again. Buy the CD, go see her perform, get on the Jackie Ryan Fan Train for a damned exciting ride.

There are a few truly special jazz vocalists on the scene today who can rightfully claim the thrones of the late Sarah Vaughan, Carmen McCrae, Billie Holiday and even Ella Fitzgerald. In that rare class is Jackie Ryan.
On YOU AND THE NIGHT AND THE MUSIC, she sings one of the best pure jazz sets that I've heard in a long time. Her perfect pitch and three octave range is both emotional and stylish. The songs Ms. Ryan has selected are truly great vehicles for her wonderful voice. They are comforting, intimate and cool.
With special guest Red Holloway and her core group, Jackie Ryan creates "a strange kind of chemical change that goes rushing through you" on such songs as "You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To" "Wild Is The Wind" and "Never Let Me Go." Those are only a few of the gems on this CD, but every song she sings is awesome.
With her sultry tender alto and sensual looks, Jackie Ryan will cast her romantic spell on you and believe me, you'll like it. This CD is the perfect mood maker, so check her out.

PAULA EDELSTEIN

I heard an interview with Jackie Ryan on NPR and they played some excepts from her cd. I was so entranced with the music that I put it on my wish list immediately. But I couldn't wait and so I bought it for myself. I play it at work and several people have commented that it's a great cd. It is billed as jazz but I think its appeal is wider than that. There are lots of old standards on this and a nice mix of new tunes too.

I SAID GREAT,NOT JUST VERY GOOD,BUT GREAT! I'VE SEEN HER PERFORM MANY TIMES WITH A GREAT GROUP OF MUSICIAN'S;PIANIST;LARRY VUCAVICH/RUDY SALVINI ORCHESTRA ETC. I JUST SENT HER A DVD OF HER SINGING WITH THE RUDY SALVINI ORCHESTRA FROM 2001. I NEVER TIRE OF HER SINGING TECHNIQUE,WHICH CAN BE POWERFUL,SOFT AN TENDER CAN PROJECT FULL ROUND LOW NOTES ALSO. ALL HER CD'S HAVE MUSICIAN'S THAT ARE EQUAL TO HER TALENT. "YOU AND THE NIGHT AND THE MUSIC",CONTAINS ALL STANDARD'S. "NEVER LET ME GO" "I JUST FOUND OUT ABOUT LOVE"(AND I LIKE IT!) "THE BEST IS YET TO COME"
"THE VERY THOUGHT OF YOU" AND 9 MORE. YOU COULD PLAY THIS CD 3 TIMES IN A ROW AND FIND NEW STUFF TO ADD ON TO YOUR ENJOYMENT. IF YOU HAPPEN TO BE STUCK ON AN DESERTED ISLAND, THIS CD WILL BE BY YOUR SIDE. PS. "WHISPER NOT"(LIVE AT RONNIE SCOTT'S W/JACKIE RYAN.) ORDER FROM;
AMAZON.CO U.K. AS FAR AS I KNOW,YOU CAN'T GET IT HERE. SHE NEVER DISAPPOINTS. WHEN I GET IT
I'LL REVIEW IT HERE. I GOT IT AND IT'S ANOTHER 5 STAR CD!!! SOME OF THE TUNES ARE;"RED TOP"
,"SISTER SADIE","PEACOCKS","DAT DERE","PRELUDE TO A KISS","I THOUGHT ABOUT YOU","
FALICIDADE","BUT NOT FOR ME"+MUCH MORE. 69 MINUTES. CHECK MY COMPLETE REVIEW ON
AMAZON CO.UK IT'S ANOTHER 5 STAR CD!!!

I love the arrangements on "You & the Night & the Music". Jackie Ryan's voice is as powerful as it is sweet & melodic. The addition of the jazz harp is wonderful on this album.

I'd never heard of Jackie Ryan before now. A friend of hers whom I recently met, knew I was a Jazz lover and suggested I check her out. "You and the Night and the Music", the CD I purchased to sample her talents, simply blew me away! Ms Ryan has it all...voice and range to be sure, but her phrasing and sense of timing is world class, as are the arrangements she and her group of musicians put together for this offering. I cannot imagine why she has not been "discovered" long before now!

If you are looking for an artist who brings back memories of Ella, Sarah, and others of that era, look no further. Add to that her own unique talents and you have the makings of very pleasant experience....listening to sounds that make you smile!