Trav'lin' Light

Queen Latifah | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 25, 2007)
• Original Release Date: 2007
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Verve
• ASIN: B000S9JS4M
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (102 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,327 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

With Trav'lin' Light, singer/actress/rapper/Cover Girl Queen Latifah (née Dana Owens) continues her chameleonic pan-stardom. The latest musical chapter in Latifah's success-studded career began with 2004's The Dana Owens Album, on which she emerged as a nuanced crooner of jazz and R&B standards. She continues this mode on her Verve records debut, adding ample individuality to such well-loved classics as Johnny Mercer's title track, Nina Simone's "I Want a Little Sugar in My Bowl," and Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars" (with legendary harmonica pioneer Toots Thielemans). Steve Wonder's own harmonica playing lends nostalgic ornament to an otherwise rather forced "Georgia Rose," and much of the album languishes in similarly downbeat fare, though Latifah's voice is never wholly unbecoming of her song choices. Toward the album's end comes a welcome swerve for the energetic. Inspiring takes on the Pointer Sisters' "How Long" and Curtis Mayfield's "Gone Away" lead into the soaring choruses of "I Know Where I've Been." Taken together, these three songs superbly straddle the spectrum from the former rapper to the still-newly minted singer with a long lease on success and a peerless sense of how to grow older gracefully. --Jason Kirk

Product Description

Grammy® award-winning recording artist, Queen Latifah, debuts on Verve Records with her new album Trav'lin' Light. On this jazz and R&B influenced album from legendary producers Tommy LiPuma and Ron Fair,Queen Latifah delivers sultry yet powerful performances on a hand-picked mix of familiar classics and forgotten jewels.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars QUEEN LATIFAH'S SINGING SPECTACULAR, September 24, 2007

By 

RBSProds "rbsprods" (Deep in the heart of Texas) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Trav'lin' Light (Audio CD)

Five WONDERFUL Stars. Grammy-winning and Oscar-nominated triple-threat star Queen Latifah once again demonstrates that she is a wonderful, dramatic singer in this spectacular set entitled "Trav'lin' Light". This is a marvelous extention of the music of her previous CD recorded under her birth name: the Grammy-nominated The Dana Owens Album. It also shows very intelligent and eclectic song selection that goes from jazz to blues to soul to bossa nova to Broadway, showing a wide-ranging vocal capability. Using great musical arrangements, a huge orchestra, and a hip vocal chorus, the Queen DELIVERS!! BIGTIME!! (BTW selections from both CD's were performed by Ms Latifah in front of a wildly enthusiastic, sold-out audience at the Hollywood Bowl.) She demonstrates flawless time, swing, and delivery in impressively selling each song with a soulful flair.

The best performances begin with a heartfelt version of Smokey Robinson's "What Love Has Joined Together" with a hot arrangement and the Queen delivering a sincere, touching performance and it went straight to my iPod. "Poetry Man" is so good, it may give you chills. She sings dynamic versions of two rarely performed songs: Roberta Flack's beautiful "Gone Away" and 10cc's "I'm Not In Love". From Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars" (Corcovado) to "Georgia Rose" (with Stevie Wonder's soaring harmonica) to a salutary "I Know Where I've Been" from her own role in the movie version of the Broadway show "Hairspray", Queen Latifah has an attractive, dramatic way with a song that deepens with each listen. Let's hope she continues to deliver these types of vocal performances, while she pursues the other highly successful elements of her career. This CD gets My Highest Recommendation!! All Hail the Queen!: Five ENJOYABLE Stars!!

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous CD!, September 25, 2007

By 

R. S. Hill "creative one" (Silver Spring, MD) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Trav'lin' Light (Audio CD)

For those of us who missed "Dana Owens" -- don't fret -- we'll just add it to our collection later. As all of us Pisceans know, we rarely do anything in moderation, and Queen Latifah makes this fellow Piscean proud! "Trav'lin Light" kicks butt from the beginning -- Ms. Latifah's rendition of "Poetry Man" is awesome! I'm old enough to remember liking the song as a teen, but Queen Latifah injects the "Soul" component as Phoebe Snow could never do. And, I won't even talk about her cover of Smokey Robinson's "What Love Has Joined Together" -- she oughta quit! As if that wasn't enough, "I'm Not In Love" is so soulful and sultry, it makes me WISH I loved a man that much -- even if he's breaking my heart! "Gone Away?" Donny, I know you're smiling wherever you are. The creme de la creme is "I Know Where I've Been." I don't attend church, but I assure you, this cut will make you say TAKE ME TO CHURCH and let me get my praise on!!!

So, please do yourself a favor and add Trav'lin Light to your collection. I'm a die-hard R&B, Jazz, Reggae lover, and this CD does not disappoint -- even for those of us born in the 1950s!

Dana Owens - aka Queen Latifah -- darling, you've got it going on, and I love you much. I didn't know you could SANG. Billie Holiday -- move over, there's a new legend in town!

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bravo to the Queen, September 24, 2007

By 

Michael McCLain "Amberbaer" (West Chester, Pennsylvania United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Trav'lin' Light (Audio CD)

Knowing that she was heading in this direction, the Dana Owens made an impressive start, with this cd - she rolls with it completely. Just buy the CD - I won't bother with the song by song description, let's just say that she has fine-tuned her inner Patti Austin and is running with it completely - there is not a missed beat on this cd - and from start to finish, you will find yourself loving the Queen more and more and can see that she is quite comfortably settling into her mature jazz voice with this collection of songs - can't wait to see her live on tour with this cd later this year...live will only add to the pleasure of hearing this woman find a new musical home! All Hail the Queen indeed!