Customer Reviews

Tain't Nobody's Biz-Ness

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

 

 

If you want music that you can't help but move to, this is it. I thought Dinah Washington was the Top Bannana, with Billie Holiday right beside her, but I have now added Helen Humes to the list. They just don't make em like this any more! True quality...true feel good music! Heaven has got to be a rockin' place.

Her 1st LP for OJC(her best was Songs I Like To Sing) out of three, is a great jazz session well worth picking up. She is one of the few artists like Anita O'Day(on Verve), you know if her name is on the cover it's worth buying. Highlights include "Amung My Suvineers" and "Bill Bailey."

While I agree that her voice can sound a little chidish at times, this is my favorite Helen Humes album. (I have a few, but this is the only one I replaced on cd). A nice selection of songs, with a very good jazz band behind her. And this is also my favorite version of my favorite song, "Stardust." After all these years, listening to her return after the horn solo still sends chills up my spine.

First-rate jazz musicians backing squeeky voiced Helen Humes who used to be Count Basie singer in 1940s.
Songs are excellent - Duke Ellington,some Broadway,Fats Waller,Bessie Smith and even "Stardust" - but I don't get Humes appeal no matter how much I tried,and I can't put my finger excatly on why is it so - her voice always puts me in the bad mood because there were so many other great jazz vocalists who did wonders with this material.
The one surprisingly high point of this album is her version of "Bill" from "Showboat" where she sounds calm and composed,it is a very pretty song and Humes don't even think about swinging it,she sings it sincerely and slowly,with feeling for a change from other stuff - if this were a ballad album I might liked it far better.
I have not one but two Humes albums recorded around the same time and occasionaly torture myself with them expecting to have that "aha!" moment when everything will became suddenly illuminated and I will get the beauty of it.
It didn't happen yet.