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16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Relaxin, at Midnight, in the Moonlight, with Jackie, August 15, 2007
I am so pleased to be the 6th reviewer of this, Jackie Ryan's fourth c.d. The record will reflect that I am the only one to review her first three discs on Amazon, and I believe there were two reviews apiece on each of those three (to date). The fact that I'm 6th on this one tells me that slowly, more and more people are being clued in to a fact: Jackie Ryan is one of the best non-classical singers in the world.
On the first three discs, what you hear is Jackie Ryan, blessed with a sultry, rich voice with a huge mezzo-soprano range, waxing beautifully in a variety of styles. While principally a jazz singer, she made her mark there (especially on "Passion Flower" and "This Heart of Mine") as a jazz reinterpreter of Hispanic/Portuguese art songs, most notably "La Historia de un Amor" on "Flower" and "Estate" and "Anos Dourandos" on "Heart."
She continues that specialty here only on a gorgeous read of "Besame Mucho." Otherwise, she expands her chops into jazz standards, and gets away from concert singing while exploring rhythmic and melodic variations.
What impresses me the most is how relaxed, how confident Ms. Ryan sounds. It's not that she's lost her power: listen to how she powers the note on the word "love" on "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To."
But to borrow from what might be said at London's Ronnie Scott's, where Ms. Ryan frequently plays, she has become "a compleat artist." Her lyrical phrasing on such gems as "Moonlight", "You Are There" (an utterly gorgeous duet with harpist Carol Robbins), and "While We're Young", and her playfulness on "I Just Found Out About Love", are just thrilling. And her roaring, musing and purring on the swinging "Let There Be Love" just make me smile.
The featured instrumentalist is the venerable Red Holloway; but for as remarkable as his senior-citizen licks are (especially on "Let There Be Love"), the instrumentalist (other than Ms. Robbins) who really grabs my attention here is Larry Koonse. He plays his guitar exquisitely on "Besame","Moonlight" and the set-ender duet, "Young". The others (Tamir Hendelman, p.; Jeff Hamilton, d; Christoph Luty, bs) likewise do first-rate work.
My only critique is the sound is a little dry. But actually, that's okay; the dryness of the sound actually lends to the feeling of relaxin, at midnight, in the moonlight, with the beautiful Jackie Ryan. That's the gestalt of this c.d., anyway, and a most worthy one at that. RC
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A thrilling tour de force chock full of vocal treats, August 10, 2007
Each of the 14 tracks that make up this extraordinary release portrays a particular emotional stage of a relationship -- from first loves to the last. Right from the opening flirtations of "You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To," (with the legendary Red Holloway igniting the session with his sassy sax) I knew I was in for a ride I'd never forget.
Jackie digs deep into all the powerful emotions of these great songs of passion. Everything is here -- from the electric excitement of "I Know That You Know" to the reckless abandon of "Wild As The Wind." All sung with an honesty and virtuosity rarely heard today. Whether love lasts a night, a year, or a lifetime, I could relate to all of the feelings she captures so well.
Red, who has swung with everyone from Billie Holiday to B.B. King, has never sounded better. As does GRAMMY Award-winner Jeff Hamilton on drums, budding genius Tamir Hendelman on piano, and all the strings: Christoph Luty on bass, Larry Koonse on guitar and Carol Robbins on harp (the last two both of my favorite configuration of the Billy Childs sextet).
EASILY ONE OF MY ALL-TIME TOP 10 CDs. I WILL PLAY IT 'TIL IT MELTS!
Dale Caldwell
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Exquisite Album Wrapped In Timeless Elegance, January 2, 2008
"Extraordinary is the word! . . . A world-class talent. Jazz singing at its very best" ~ Don Heckman, Los Angeles Times ~
This is one of my all-time favorite CDs from my collection, Jackie Ryan's "You And The Night And The Music." It is a program of fourteen of timeless and best-loved standards, each interpreted in such a gorgeous fashion by Jackie Ryan showcasing her inimitable vocal prowess and elegant and sophisticated style of singing, which is her passport to be included on my list of impressive jazz divas of all-time.
In this album, she creates a heartfelt musical romance attracting music lovers with a kind of music that is deeply felt. Ms. Ryan is singing with her heart and soul as evident with her treatments of my top choices from this collection starting off with "Wild Is The Wind," featuring Tamir Hendelman on piano, the title track "You And The Night And The Music," "Besame Mucho," "Let There Be Love" and "You Are There."
Kudos to the exceptional instrumentations by the finest musicians in the history of jazz - Red Holloway (tenor sax), Tamir Hendelman (piano), Larry Koonse (guitar), Carol Robbins (harp), Jeff Hamilton (drums) and Christoph Luty (bass).
My number one personal choice from this impressive repertoire is an all-time favorite of mine, a song written by Ray Noble, "The Very Thought of You." She sings this in such a manner it was really meant to be sung with her impeccable and poetic vocal art - a kind of voice that is capable of projecting a wide range of emotion, passion and ardor.
"I see your face in every flower
Your eyes in stars above
It's just the thought of you
The very thought of you, my love"
With my heartfelt recommendation for your listening pleasure always and forever!
"If music be the food of love, play on." ~ William Shakespeare (1564-1616) ~
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