Customer Reviews

Swing

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Despite having scored a string of country chart hits in the late 80s and early 90s, Bogguss never really fit the Nashville orthodoxy, having to forsake early covers of Patsy Montana and Merle Haggard for crossover material that made her a star. By the mid-90s she'd moved on to idiosyncratic (but highly charming) releases such as her duet album with Chet Atkins, "Simpatico," before taking a couple of years off to start a family.

Upon her return to recording, she filled out her contract with Capitol, and began an indie recording career. This third indie release reveals, in startling clarity, just how brilliant a singer Bogguss really is. Not that her country recordings secreted the quality of her voice, but this all-Swing affair highlights how beautifully she can caress a melody, and how well she can draw out a lyric. Producer Ray Benson (of Asleep at the Wheel fame) smartly supports her with a tight, acoustic combo that's able to lay back or swing, as needed. Jason Roberts' violin is especially fine in its evocation of Stephane Grappelli, Spencer Starnes adds wonderfully lyrical stand-up bass, and Dave Biller's guest spot on "It's All About You" once again proves him an ace among aces.

Bogguss constructs her songbook on a foundation of classics, including a playful reading of Nat King Cole's "Straighten Up and Fly Right" and a songbird's stroll through Duke Ellington's "Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me." Smartly, though, she draws heavily on sophisticated new songs from April Barrows, Paul Kramer, and even her own pen. The resulting mood balances vintage timbre with modern emotion, swinging free and easy with the confidence (though not the swagger!) of Sinatra's early Capitol sides. Bogguss is much more than a former pop crooner (e.g., Linda Ronstadt, Natalie Cole) looking for fresh commercial ground, she's a jazz singer set loose. This set is the deepest and most artistically complete album of Bogguss' career.

4-1/2 stars, if allowed fractional ratings.

An absolute gem of an album from one of country's most under-rated singers (at least she certainly is here in the UK).

Freed from the constraints of a mainstream record label, Suzy has come up with an easy-going bar-room jazz / western swing album that's like a breath of fresh air. The sensitive, acoustic arrangements mean that we get the full benefit of her clear, sweet vocals, without her having to strain above the backing.

She obviously had fun recording this set, and loves this sort of music (she admits growing up to the sound of Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald). There are just three cover versions, from the likes of Nat Cole and Billie Holiday, but the new songs sit easily with them, and could have come from the same era.

The only slight disappointment is the running time, at 37 minutes it leaves you wanting more, but at least there are no duff or filler songs, so I'll forgive her, give it five, and look forward to the next one.

As one of many artists to break during the late-80's, early-90's boom in country music, Suzy Bogguss has shown incredble endurance in a shaky industry, which is now made up of nothing but manufactured stars who are here today, gone tomorrow.

Suzy had consistant country radio hits between 1989 and 1994 ("Outbound Plane," "Aces," "Just Like the Weather" to name a few), and was definitely in the "alternative country" vein that was so popular during that time. All of a sudden, the tides turned, and country radio became very "white-bread" and narrow, and Suzy's winning streak at radio ended. She would have a moderate hit here and there ("No Way Out" in 1996, "Somebody to Love" in 1998) but it was her albums, which had become more experimental than commercial like her 1991-1994 releases (which were still very well done, and "left of center" compared to what was being marketed at the time from Garth, Reba, and George), that stood out.

Every album that she has released since 1996's "Give Me Some Wheels" has been strong, creative, and each completely different from the last. Now we have "Swing" - appropriately titled after the kind of music it features. A good mix of western swing (ala Ray Benson of Asleep at the Wheel, who produced the album) and classic dancehall swing, with only the smallest trace of 'country' if any at all.

Suzy's rendition of Nat King Cole's "Straighten Up and Fly Right" is pitch-perfect, and her take on "Comes Love" will stick with you for hours. "Burning the Toast" is also lots of fun - those three are my personal favorite tracks. The rest of the album holds up very well and is well mixed. This is a great album to put on while cooking, or when you have a home-dinner date. And of course, it's great the cut up the dance floor with.

It's a great companion piece to Suzy's recently released "20 Greatest Hits" if you're new to Suzy's music - so you can get the best of the past, and preview what's the come.

Very classy and non-gimmicky. I highly doubt it will take Suzy back into the mainstream at radio, but frankly, all radio sucks these days - let's hope she does get the recognition she deserves, however.

Do not miss out on "Swing" :-)

Please include my vote for what a good CD SWING is. You do not have to be locked into a particular genre of music to appreciate it. Thanks Suzy.

Suzy Bogguss has produced some pretty forgettable Nashville product in the past, so this comes as something of a surprise. Unlike a lot of pop singers who suddenly do a standards album, she is not overly respectful or intimidated by the material. She wisely kept the band small and although the arrangements are excellent with a Texas swing feel, they do not overpower or overshadow her. The vocals are delivered with warmth and a light-on-her-feet swing. A delight.

Suzy takes a step outside her usual zone of mellow pop country with this appropriately titled Swing album. The results are solidly listenable and exceptionately pleasant. Lacking in some of the harder edged messages of her country work, this album exudes a great deal of charm.

Suzy Bogguss has a very good voice for sure, though not the kind that makes a song the way Emmylou or Jane Monheit (from another genre) can. Her songs work because she sounds really good, and she sounds like she's having fun. She's an unaffected singer, which makes her really different from most. On this disk, as the title says, she's moved completely into jazz-tinged western swing style, and she handles the swing part very well. (she's done it before -- her contribution of Old Fashioned Love to the Bob Wills celebration album by Asleep at the Wheel is outstanding) Backed again by Roy Benson, she sounds completely at ease here. I would not have thought she could do so well with Do Nothing Till You Hear from Me or Comes Love, but they are good versions for sure. This disk is her best album as a whole that I know of -- there are NO songs you want to skip over...

I was wandering through a downtown DC record shop, and saw this new one by Suzy on the shelf. I hadn't been aware that she had a new release, but I had always been a fan from her early 90's country days. Since I've more recently developed a taste for jazz, swing, and standards, I decided to pick it up. Got it home later that evening, and was absolutely floored! "Swing" instantly became my favorite CD of the year. The crystal-clarity of Suzy's voice, the pared-down musical accompaniment, the beauty of the older standards such as "Comes Love" and "Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me", and the humor of the new "soon-to-be standards" such as "Burning The Toast" by April Barrows make this Suzy's best yet by far. I hope it continues to garner excellent reviews, and builds word-of-mouth steam similar to Norah Jones' "Come Away With Me" CD last year. This one is a must-have.

After listening to Suzy's music for over ten years, her voice has only gotten better during that time. This album is a total departure from her other ventures, and is simply put, fantastic! Her choice of songs is just superb, and makes one wish that Swing music be more popular now than it is, and this album, if it gets enough publicity, could help make that happen. "Straighten Up and Fly Right" is the cat's meow of swing, and it only gets better with song after song of Suzy's special vocal touch. Even if you aren't a Suzy Boggess fan, you'll enjoy this piece of work for the upbeat flawless vocals that tease the ears with a smooth tone not found often with singers today.

When word of Suzy recording a swing album with Ray Benson began to spread, I had initially hoped for a full CD of tracks like "Old Fashioned Love" on Asleep at the Wheel's Bob Wills tribute album. Then, after hearing that she was recording songs like "Straighten Up and Fly Right," I expected another "Unforgettable" (Natalie Cole) or "What's New" (Linda Rondstant/Nelson Riddle). Popping "Swing" into my CD player for the first time was a surprise, particularly due to the sparse arrangements and lack of the usual overdubs and layered background vocals. This is indeed much like listening to a live recording, and it took a few listens to appreciate that. Once you set preconceptions aside, however, it's a wonderful piece of work, filled with clever lyrics that are consistently given appropriate, and sometimes amusing, readings by a talented vocalist. To my ears the standout track by far is "Stay Out of My Dreams." I would never have dreamed that Suzy Bogguss would sound so completely at home and in charge in a New Orleans jazz setting. The musician accompaniment on this track, too, is impressively sharp and perfectly balanced with the vocal. Personally, I could now go for an entire album of "Suzy in the Big Easy"...