Customer Reviews

Trav'lin' Light

5 star:		(70)
4 star:		(19)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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!!

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!

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!

So, the best times to listen to this wonderful CD are:

1) Home from a long day of work, and need to unwind

2) Traveling on a long stretch of highway under the light of a blue moon

3) A romantic, candlelit dinner with your sweetie

Queen's amazing voice is velvety, passionate, and elegant. This CD encaptures all the best of this amazing woman's talent. Buy it now, and bask in her grace.

Queen Latifah fails to dissapoint. There is nothing she can't do. She can rap, She can act, and she can SANG! With Trav'Lin Light, She takes on classic songs originally done by Phoebe Snow, The Pointer Sisters, 10cc, Billie Holiday, just to name a few and adds her own, new fresh spin to them. What bothers me is that when it comes to her singing, she does strictly covers which makes me wonder if it's easier for her to write rap lyrics than it is to write jazz, R&B and easy listening lyrics. I think more original non-rap songs would be nice. Adding "I know where I've Been" from Hairspray was a great way to close the album. The voice this woman has makes me wonder why she started out doing rap music in the first place

My Top 5 tracks
1. I'M not in love (Originally by 10cc)
2. Poetry Man (Originally by Phoebe Snow)
3. I know where I've Been
4. I'm Gonna Live Till I Die
5. Tie - Every Woman is A Queen (Wal-Mart Bonus Track and an original song by QL) & Trav'lin Light

I am so impressed with Queen Latifah's vocal abilities. She deserves to be classified with Natalie Cole, Diana Krall, Patti Austin, & even a young Ella Fitzgerald. The cd is great. I especially like Poetry Man & Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars.

I am not a fan of Queen Latifah's hip-hop albums. I don't hate them, just not a fan. I am a fan of her acting and her more soulful musical outings. When I first heard the Dana Owen's album I was so impressed I bought it on the spot. I wasn't sure if it was her success in Chicago at the time that motivated her to make the album, but I am glad she did. Then, when I heard she was going to be in Hairspray, I hoped that another album in the style of the Dana Owen's album would be on the way. Was it because of the success of Hairspray that we got this wonderful album? I don't know and, honestly, I don't really care too much. I am just glad it was released.

WOW! This is an amazing mix of sultry, sexy, playful, lively, jazzy, EXPRESSIVE music, by the QUEEN herself! I love the Queen's interpretations of these incredible classics, from traditional jazz, to 70's pop hits ("Poetry Man", "How Long (Betcha Got a Chick on the Side") to other tunes from different genres. WOW! Can't stop saying that. This CD lasts from Sunday morning Mimosa brunch with the family through Friday night with the girls and Saturday date night. Whoa, Queen, wha's'up with ALL that GOOD you got GOIN' ON with your GOOD SELF!! This is the first time I have purchased tickets to a live concert based upon a CD that I heard for the first time. THIS IS A MUST in your collection for all around, top down, turn-in-up, dance-in-your-underwear, lounge, move, garden, whatever you got goin' on TUNES! Have fun with this one! Go QUEEN!!

Once again, the "Queen" proves she can do it all. From the accoustic
"Poetry Man" to the electric "Betcha Got A Chick On The Side", all the way to the swingin' big band tune, "I Love Bein Here With You", the Queen interprets each and every song with her own great style. Give credit, however to the arrangers and producers, including the great Tommy LiPuma. The arrangements are superb, and therefore allow her to shine in each and every song.
I think I favor the "Dana Owens Album" over this one, simply because I prefer the song selections on that album over this one. However, this is a superb CD, as good or better quality than any I've heard in a long long time.

I slept in one day last week, with the TV on, and awoke to the most beautiful voice singing one of my favorite songs, "Poetry Man," on the Regis/Kelly show.

I can't say I was surprised to see that it was Latifah... but very very glad. This woman is so full of music!!