Customer Reviews

Stormy Weather

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Lena Horne is generally overlooked when it comes to jazz singers, and although technically she is not a jazz singer, her jazz phrasing, and her great sense of swing are immaculate. She really doesn't iimprovise all that much, but she can swing and make you at times think you are listening to Lee Wiley(another great, but overlooked jazz singer), yet she can also sing a torch song with as much verve as the younger Billie Holiday or Mildred Bailey. Horne here is backed by various swing bands, and the occasional small jazz combo. Most of these tunes are circa 1940's, however this CD covers from early 40's to to late 50's, where Lena has more sass,(& sounds a little more like Della Reese or Betty Roche) actually a more fairer comparison would be made to the later Conne Boswell of the 50's or Kay Starr, although Lena always had a style and distinctive voice all her own. Some of the highlights of this exellent CD are Good For Nothin' Joe, One For My Baby, and the quentessential and most difinitive version ever recorded of As Long As I Live. This set is recomended to jazz and vocal record collectors alike. Great music that generally swings.

This is a classic. A perfect introduction to Lena Horne

This CD has the best selection overall, and it has the most tracks (22). But, it has a few downsides:

1. It omits Lena's only significant chart hit, 'Love Me Or Leave Me' (#19, 1955)
2. The mastering is good, but not as good as later discs (e.g. 'The Classic Lena Horne')
3. The material is strictly RCA - which excludes most of her movie classics.

But, if you're gonna buy only one, this would be my recommendation. Try to get the original RCA edition - not the chintzy Jazz Heritage reissue.

Miss Lena was like no other vocalist. Her distinctive voice would haunt a whole generation, and she kept her looks, too.

This album captures her at the height of her powers: an era when recording technology was improving while voices were getting older. These songs represent Lena's amazing range and power.

She'll have you in the palm of her hand...

I knew almost nothing about Lena Horne before hearing this cd. I knew she was an entertainer from back in the day, but that was it. About a year ago, my father called me up and raved to me about a Lena Horne cd he had recently bought. Well, I've finally gotten around to listening to it, and I fully understand my father's enthiusiasm. Lena Horne was a tremendously talented singer with a gorgeous voice, so listening to her is simply a pleasure.

The music here is nonpareil. What lacks is the quality of the transcription to digital. Material like this deserves the best, and sometimes the quality of the sound is indistinct and "muddy."

That said, Lena's unique. "Stormy Weather," the title track, is done by her like no one else.

Lena Horne's voice in this era is so smooth and delicious! There are 22 songs on this CD, so there's plenty to choose from. My one objection is that in this era, it was a common theme that women were expected to be attracted to bad and worthless men, and it was OK to sing lovesongs to them. I'm glad we've progressed to "I Will Survive." But keeping the songs in the context of their time period and listening to Lena's fabulous voice makes it worth the purchase.

This CD is a great introduction to Lena Horne. Lena Horne unleashes her one of a kind voice on this CD. You'll want to listen to it 24/7.