Customer Reviews

Verve Jazz Masters 19

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

 

 

This CD has something for everyone. Dinah changed and evolved as a singer thru the years (some critics accuse her for "selling out" to pop) and her voice grew rich and soulful as well. There's the early Dinah from the mid to late 40s with songs such as "Long John Blues" "Slick Chick on Mellow Side" where she's only backed by a trio and guitar. Record company did a good job restoring sound quality on the earlier recordings. You can hear Dinah's voice mature thru the years. As the years go by you can hear the different accompanists---orchestra, strings and violins---it all shows how comfortable Dinah was in each and every musical setting. The later pop smashes are here too "What A Difference A Day Makes" "This Bitter Earth" "Unforgettable". She truly was unique and versatile. No wonder she boasted to the public "I can sing anything, anything at all..." She wasn't boasting at all. Sound quality is very good to excellent.

This CD has something for everyone. Dinah changed and evolved as a singer thru the years (some critics accuse her for "selling out" to pop) and her voice grew rich and soulful as well. There's the early Dinah from the mid to late 40s with songs such as "Long John Blues" "Slick Chick on Mellow Side" where she's only backed by a trio and guitar. Record company did a good job restoring sound quality on the earlier recordings. You can hear Dinah's voice mature thru the years. As the years go by you can hear the different accompanists---orchestra, strings and violins---it all shows how comfortable Dinah was in each and every musical setting. The later pop smashes are here too "What A Difference A Day Makes" "This Bitter Earth" "Unforgettable". She truly was unique and versatile. No wonder she boasted to the public "I can sing anything, anything at all..." She wasn't boasting at all. Sound quality is very good to excellent.

this is a great CD. I have a lot of these Verve Jazz Masters CD's, and they're all good (off the top of my head I have ones featuting Coleman Hawkins, Charlie Parker, Astrud Gilberto, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Stan Getz, and I'm sure there are many others). Great recordings, good selections, and the price is right.

The sweet voice, that shudders. Thats Dinah. I love this Cd, and all of her work. Dinah Washington made me fall in love with jazz and these are some of her greatest songs that she did with verve.

Starting with some hot but slightly populist swing, then turning to schmultzy (this word doesn't exist, but I think you get my drift) pop evergreen and then covering the field from top class jazz and blues to country... Dinah really shines at this CD, trust me on that one or listen yourself.

A jazz fan like myself could wish for a jazzier selection, but then again, jazz fans probably already have some of her fienst jazz work (tributes to Bessie Smith, jamming with Clark Terry, Maynard Ferguson, Clifford Brown, Hank Jones, Terry Gibbs, Buck Clayton and others; swinging hard with Lionel Hampton or Red Norvo...).

This is a perfect introduction to Dinah Washington's entire career and her vastly diverse opus.
Hopefully, it will lead some to explore her jazz legacy (not as consistently excellent as Sarah Vaughan's jazz-opus, but equally great and powerful when she hits it right with her mighty voice).