Customer Reviews

For Those in Love

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

 

 

Well, the first thing you'll notice when you look at this album is the careful selection of songs. 10 songs that match in perfection Dinah's style. No songs about happy love with easy lyrics, but instead, songs about more complex emotions... like "You don't know what love is" - a beautiful (and very famous) song about the true consequences of love that one experiences after a love lost. Dinah's voice (like Billie Holiday's) is one of those who put deep feeling above the simple act of crooning through a song. The second major thing about this album is the careful use of the band (again, Quincy Jones shows us his magic!): Not a big orchestra with a full string section, but a small band with Wynton Kelly(p), Clark Terry(t), Barry Galbraith(g) and other peak musicians. This means that we have the best band with some of the 50's top Jazz players who give Dinah the perfect space for her strong, firm and wide voice. And what a voice! She sings through "My Old Flame" and "Blue Gardenia" with sheer perfection! All the songs were carefully chosen and most of these recordings present us with the best readings one can hope for. Dinah is the top and this album flashes her art. Only one flaw... I would love to listen to outakes, rehearsals and all the stuff they include in other albums....

This is certainly one of Dinah's greatest albums. This 1955 treasure should certainly be admired by all of Dinah's biggest fans. My favorite song on this album is I Get A Kick Out Of You. Other favorites are This Can't Be Love and her soulful version of Blue Gardenia. Love this album. If youre a serious fan, get this one-even if you arent a jazz and blues fan youll like this album!

An excellent CD! Dinah sings here in a completely relaxed manner. Quincy Jones is to be commended for his understated arrangements that bring out the mellow side of Dinah. Her voice is in great shape, sometimes on other CDs, a little roughness creeps in, but not here. She is so smooth and relaxed and the quality of the voice is fresh. Songs are well-chosen and perfectly accompanied by Quincy's small band. A perfect CD to play while reading a book or watching the rain on your window pane.

Much of Dinah Washington's music was ruined in my opinion by too many strings and syrupy arrangements. This is a great collection of songs -- some ballads and others that really swing -- and most have very spare arrangements, drums, bass, piano or guitar, a couple of horn(s) and, most importantly, Dinah's vocals pure and unadulterated. Recorded in 1955 with great session players and arrangments by Quincy Jones -- these are the real deal and don't get any better.

Absolutely no one ever sang like Dinah Washington. She had a powerful voice,but knew intuitively how to modulate it within the emotionial content and peaks of the song. Her phrasing,diction,and command of the lyric was truly amazing and completely entrancing. Dinah had a bittersweet,tart and tender sound in her voice like Billie did. She could sing like an angel one minute and be very caustic the next.She reaches levels of high emotionial intensity in a non self-conscious,unpretentious way,and does so with such ease. Dinah had it over all the rest,in that, she was the first to bring the bluesy,gospel sound into jazz ballad singing. Her effervescence is completely infectious in "I Could Write A Book","Easy Living",etc. Torching her way through "My Old Flame","Blue Gardenia", and "Make the Man Love Me",the cry in her voice will cut you straight to the heart. Paul Quinchette and Wynton Kelly do alot of masterful solo work in this CD. There is track for every type of mood here with each song flowing like chapters in a book. Dinah,Paul,and Wynton sound completely relaxed,spontaneuous, and in unison here. They don't make singers,musicians,or even people like this anymore. ENJOY!!!

Have been a Dinah fan for over ten years. This is a must have! Especially for all women who love love-drenched,heart-arresting, romantical music. This CD has a song for every type of relationship known to mankind. Dinah's voice is so matured, elegant, and mesmerizing in these particular songs. Each note is crafted, and tamed by her unique ability to always create a blues tinged, jazz vocal style, which she so magnificently posseses. No other compilation of jazz compares. She is highly Underrated.

The voice of Dinah is, as said in the booklet, "hard and bittersweet", at the opposite side from Sarah Vaughan... but very attaching. This a "one day" session, but a perfect recording.