Customer Reviews

The Raven

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Four long years had to pass, before THE most pleasant voice would curl its way into my ears again, and spellbind me once more. The sound of ex-folk/rock-group "Ruby Blue" lead-singer Rebecca Pidgeon left an impression on me nine years ago, and the many different characteristics are still there. Through-out this album. -This is one high-quality song-writer. Check out "Her Man Leaves Town", "The Height Of Land" or the title-track, previously recorded by "Ruby Blue". The folky stuff, like this album, is where Pidgeon is the most at home, I think. I really wouldn't mind if she'd only make records like this one, but variety is a good thing, so I'm sure I'll enjoy whatever she decides to do in the future.

Few people realize that the actress Rebecca Pidgeon had been quietly persuing a sucessful singing career prior to her noteriety as an actress. Though she was born in the Boston area, Pidgeon grew up in Scotland and studied acting at the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, which has trained some of the finest classical British stage actors. "The Raven" is Ms. Pidgeon's first and finest solo effort, was recorded in 1994, a few years after she appeared in the Broadway production of hard edged playwright David Mamet's "The Old Neighborhood." She married Mamet and became the frequent leading lady in Mamet's excellent ensemble driven films. Prior to the "The Old Neighborhood", she sang in the group, Ruby Blue. She married Mamet and put her singing career on the back burner.

Had it not been for involvement with Mamet, Pidgeon could probably have had Nora Jones' career, because she was performing the same kind of ecclectic mix of jazz, folk and popular standards that has become Nora Jones' signature. Rebecca Pidgeon's vocals have the same grace, verve and well nuanced phrasing as the ubiquitous Ms. Jones. A single listen to her rendition of "Spanish Harlem" will convince even the most skeptical, that Pidgeon has all the makings of a great vocal stylist. The most intriguing part of her vocals is her ability to take her deeply rooted Celtic influences and blend them with the best elements of old school jazz to create her own highly stylized musical signature. The production quality is crystal clear and the arrangements are kept engagingly sparse, so Ms. Pidgeon's enticing voice isn't upstaged by a lot of superfluous overblown arrangements. If you are a fan of Nora Jones or Eva Cassidy, then Rebecca Pidgeon should be on your required music purchase list.

One curse of an audiophile is often music purchases are made on a single track or the sonic worth of a particular mastering. As a consequence, I have a stack of CD's that are not that musical.

This SACD is recorded with the warmth, detail, depth and spatiousness one would expect from the Chesky label. The wonderful surprise is Rebecca's crystalline voice floating in the phantom center channel with a blend of celtic folk music that truly appeals to me.

The open and natural rendition of Spanish Harlem is simply stunning, and I am sure has been used at many hi-end audio shops to sell gear. The double bass is tight, the piano and guitar are not smeared, and the shaker is 7-10 feet back from center stage. Kaleaka, You Got Me and remember me are three songs that are truly enjoyable to listen to simply for the melody and the lyrics.

Normally I click through a CD quickly to find songs that are immediately interesting. I found that I listened to the entire disk, skipping to the end of only two songs. Following this, I put the player on repeat for several hours.

I realize i am a little late discovering her, and many probably know her more for her films, but she has made an instant fan. I am afraid I cannot compare this to the CD version, as I only bought the SACD.

Definitely a worthy addition to any collection.

I heard the cut "Spanish Harlem" in an audio store. They were using it to demo their equipment. Her voice moves to center presence, clear and one of the most beautiful female voices. I spent several thousands of dollars on new audio equipment as a result. I still use this cut to demo my system.

For those of you who haven't heard this CD, your in for a treat. Rebecca Pidgeon has a beautiful, melodious voice. When I first heard her singing "Spanish Harlem," I was amazed - it was a joy to listen to, soft, smooth and clear. My other favorite on this CD is "Grandmother." The quality of the recording is also outstanding. With 128 times oversampling, every nuance is captured and reproduced flawlessly. -- Enjoy

Don't buy this for background music. You really need to listen carefully to this music to appreciate it. The songs are quite unusual, but they are interesting and entertaining. They show off Rebecca's voice well, and her execution is flawless. You'll find yourself wanting to hear the same song several times in a row.

This is the best CD you can find everywhere. I like to hear good music, with the maximum fidelity as possible, and I can asure you with this CD you are going to enjoy since the beggining to the end the supreme quality of this record.

Highly recommended.

I purchased this recording in the Gold Disc format years ago and love to put it on when friends who are into Norah Jones or Jennifer Warnes or even Storm Large are at my home and we get around to listening to music. They never can guess who is singing. Mrs. Mamet could have been huge in the singer/songwriter department. (Are her and David still together?) Anyway, you can hear and feel the jealousy from women I know who sing. And they're pretty good.

Between Rebecca Pidgeon and Sara K are the ultimate voices in Jazz. This Sacd makes this fabulous album sound even better and it is worth the investment of $50USD and these Sacd discs are getting harder to get so jump in to this one. The Raven by Chesky was good enough but this reproduction takes it to a much higher level. Make an effort to get one if you enjoy her music, 10/10 here. Check out any of Rebecca's movies as she is smoking hot too-State Of Main, Cat City etc.

This album is very well recorded ,it was recommended to me as a good test album for
speakers,it is not my favourite type of music but it is very listenable.Delivery was very quick on this album.