Talk of the Town

Cheryl Bentyne | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 27, 2004)
• Original Release Date: 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Telarc
• ASIN: B00016XN6Q
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #64,556 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #25 in Music > Jazz > Vocal Jazz > Vocalese

Track Listings

1. You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To

2. They Can't Take That Away From Me

3. Little Butterfly

4. The Very Thought of You

5. Love Me or Leave Me

6. Everything Happens to Me

7. Farmer's Market

8. Medley

9. Girl Talk

10. Meaning of the Blues

11. It Might as Well Be Spring

12. These Foolish Things

13. Still Good Friends

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

63 of 67 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Mainstream Magic, November 24, 2004

By 

Samuel Chell (Kenosha,, WI United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Talk of the Town (Audio CD)

Krall and Monheit just don't do it for me any more, and all of the Eva Cassidy-inspired eclectics take me too far away from the best of the American Songbook and the "beat" that only first-rate rhythm sections can provide. I could remain perfectly content in my Ella-Billie time capsule, I suppose, but one hopes for some occasional affirmation of the present moment, not to mention hope for my new granddaughter.

Enter Cheryl Bentyne, an unforced, unproduced, and "natural" musician who's got the best of the repertory in her pocket and, rhythmically, is always right "in the pocket."

At first, Cheryl's voice is likely to strike a casual listener as "plain" and just unsexy. No Krall sultriness or Monheit melodrama--hers is a voice devoid of breathiness and emotive, coloratura effects. In fact, a great deal of its charm is its refusal to change its identity from the ensemble sound so essential to her effectiveness as a member of Manhattan Transfer. I'm getting no sense of "attitude," no heightening of lyric drama, no unwarranted projection of the "big" notes. This is singing that's as transparent and unaffected as it gets--and also as competent.

I'm tempted to add that Bentyne lets the songs themselves do all the talking for her. But listen to the Sinatra phrasing on "Everything Happens to Me." And dig that nanosecond of vibrato, or spinning little shake--and not just on "Farmer's Market"--at the ends of her phrases. (Did Annie Ross possibly teach that?) And it should not go unsaid that this is a singer who, like Sarah, doesn't require scat. Her melodically-altered second choruses (especially on "Get Out of Town") are a marvel of invention in themselves.

The Kenny Barron-led rhythm section is, as usual, flawless, though the inclusion of Take 6 was for this listener gratuitous if not distracting.

39 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A "20-star" effort!!!, April 24, 2004

By 

B. J. Lane "jazzbo" (Levittown, PA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Talk of the Town (Audio CD)

It's high time that Cheryl Bentyne stepped up to the plate with her own solo CD...and thanks to Telarc's crystalline sound quality, this one earns much more than the usual 5 stars for the song selection, musicianship, engineering, and production.

Ms. Bentyne wisely sticks to familiar standard territory here with superb readings of "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To," "Girl Talk" (with some help from two of the members of Take 6), "Farmer's Market" (easily one of my favorite tracks, showing her amazing vocalese talents), "Meaning of the Blues" (just voice and piano here - perfect), "Love Me or Leave Me" (which reminds me somewhat of the late, great Nina Simone's version), a Latin-flavored treatment of "It Might as Well Be Spring," and so on.

Cheryl is ably backed by high caliber musician talent (Barron, Nash, Pattitucci, Mangione, and so on) and guided lovingly by Corey Allen's production.

Everyone who has posted so far has said all there really is to say. Fans of Manhattan Transfer (I am proud to be among them) as well as jazz vocal fans in general will embrace this long-overdue offering!!

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful!, April 26, 2004

By 

William (Chicago) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Talk of the Town (Audio CD)

I debated with myself whether I should give this album four or five stars. I actually love the CD and listen to it quite often. After some thought I decided on five stars because I have only minor criticism and truly believe this album is worth purchasing on sale or at regular price. Now on to my review: Cheryl performs with a cool, light and relaxed manner which creates a romantic mood the minute you put the CD in your player. However, that is not meant to suggest this singer is anything but exceptional. Her phrasing is subtle, yet inventive. The years of singing the lead trumpet lines on vocalese tunes with The Manhattan Transfer have obviously had great influence on her. Rather than linger on a particular note as many singers would, Bentyne's beautiful soprano voice often hits notes with trumpet like bursts, all the while remaining remarkably fluid -- making her a marvelously distinctive and innovative singer. At times her singing may remind you of Miles Davis's playing on such classic albums as, "Someday, My Prince Will Come." My only criticisms are that the majority of the instrumental solos are reserved for Kenny Barron or Corey Allen on piano. While, both are excellent musicians, adding depth and creativity whenever they play, it would have been nice to hear a solo or two by the excellent bassist, John Patitucci and perhaps a little more of Chuck Mangione on flugelhorn, just to break up "the singer -- piano solo -- singer" format that dominates most tracks. (Mention must be made of saxophonist David "Fathead" Newman's superb soloing on "The Very Thought of You" and "Everything Happens To Me.") Also, Bentyne has over the years, demonstrated her incredible vocal range and power on recordings with the Transfer and on her 1992 solo debut, "Something Cool." But on this album she seems to hold back a bit, thus, not giving us what we know she is truly capable of. These, however, are minor drawbacks and one can only hope Ms. Bentyne will be recording more solo albums and with as much frequency as her MT partner, Janis Siegel.