Customer Reviews

Something Wonderful

5 star:		(5)
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DANG...Nancy Wilson had and still has one of the most unique voices ever. I remember this album was played in my home when I was a small child. I found this on CD and could immediately call to mind all of the lyrics on most of these songs. Her vocals are "CRISP", JAZZY and "FUN" and I don't imagine she was much older than early twenties for this recording. The Big Band sound, "Guess Who I Saw Today"....an absolute classic; "If Dreams Come True"...the horn section is KILLER; "This Time the Dreams On Me"....certain Doris Day hated her; "Something Happens to Me"....the shortest, smoothest song in American History....this is one of the absolute BEST RECORDINGS of the Great Nancy Wilson...EVER!!!

P.S. If you didn't come from this era, you should still buy this one, so you can experience REAL MUSIC with REAL VOCALS.

An early "classic" Nancy Album. As usual, Nancy's standards are definitive in my opinion. Her phrasing is what vocal jazz is all about. A must for true vocal jazz connoisseurs.

Nancy Wilson gives the impression of holding back huge amounts of elemental power that can be released and restrained in a flash, depending on a songs emotional weather vane. 'Teach Me Tonight' immediately displays the rich colour of her voice. On 'Guess Who I Saw Today', incredulous wounded innocence melts into resignation over her husbands betrayal. 'Something Wonderful' reveals a similar gliding tenderness. Yet this rich voice can swing hard when the occasion arises as with 'If Dreams Come True'. 'The Great City' is a perfectly expressed, stand alone classic followed by 'He's My Guy', where Ben Webster serenades briefly but beautifully. While no great innovator, Nancy Wilson was a supreme stylist with impeccable taste. These recordings represent a stunning set, special then and all too rare today.

Those gorgeous, big, brown eyes, that perfect, hour-glass figure (what a dress she's wearing on the album cover! It might even trump that beautiful yellow one she wore on the cover of the Cannonball album), that dazzling smile, and most importantly that VOICE... that lovely, luring voice of an angel. I don't know about the rest of you, but I am in love with this woman. I just broke the news to my wife last night while we were listening to this sensational recording. However, she just rolled her eyes, shook her head, and then told me to turn up the volume.

If you like Nancy, then you will love this classic 1960 recording (her second album). This recording truly is worthy of a five-star rating. It's easy to make this statement when not only do we have our young Ms. Wilson singing seductively ('Teach Me Tonight'), playfully ('I'm Gonna Laugh You Out Of My Life'), mournfully ('Guess Who I Saw Today'), enthusiastically ('What A Little Moonlight Can Do'), and sultry ('He's My Guy'), but on top of that we have the legendary Ben Webster backing her up on tenor sax. He plays that sax subdued, yet steamy, serene, and so, so smoooooooooothly. Also, turning in terrific performances in supportings roles, are Jack Marshall (guitar), Joe Comfort (bass) and Shelly Manne (drums). And if that is not enough, to top it all off, the album is arranged by the great and jovial Billy May. The bottom line, Billy May worked with the best of them - Sinatra, Lady Ella, Nat 'King' Cole, Mel Torme, et al... and I personally believe that some of Nancy's finest work was done when Billy May was leading the way. Bottom line, this is some great stuff!

This is definitely one of her best efforts and easily one of my top three favorites from Nancy Wilson. Most jazz fans looking for a great vocal album won't be disappointed with this one! And that gorgeous picture of her on the album cover is almost worth ten dollars alone! Enjoy.

I USED TO DJ YEARS AGO AND PLAYED THIS ALBUM OFTEN...OLD MEMORIES ARE GREAT WHEN YOU CAN LISTEN ONE MORE TIME. GREAT MUSIC