Jazz & Blues > Christmas Jazz & Blues > Jazz Vocal

Musical Cheese, and I'm not crackers!!!

Advantages: Full of Christmas cheer!!
Disadvantages: Full of Christmas cheese!!

...comes a time every year, when the frantic shopping is done, when we all just want to get home, close the doors, turn the fire on and snuggle down with our nearest and dearest to enjoy a warm, family Christmas. There are many factors that make this happen - good company (obviously), great presents (materialistically), fine food and drink and a great soundtrack that sets the mood, and adds a happy lift to the house. For a few years now one of the soundtracks ...
...He is at his best when swinging out a great tune and he gets plenty of opportunity with the range of tracks on this album. It is amazing to listen to such a strong, mature singing voice and realise that he was only 26 when he recorded this album. The Background to the Album Having graduated from the Manhattan School of Music, Harry was signed to the Columbia label and released his first, self titled, album in 1987 at the age of 20. This album consists ...

stevielad123 04.12.2006 · Read full review
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Review of When My Heart Finds Christmas - Harry Connick Jr.

A Great Archive Let Down By Sequencing

Advantages: Fidelity is great, songwriting, guitar playing and vocals superb, thorough research
Disadvantages: Sequencing - the track order is frustrating

...music fans a like. The Complete Robert Johnson comes across like a standards song book, the contents of which has given birth to numerous cover versions from acclaimed and esteemed bluesmen and rockers from across the globe spanning six decades. There is however, one glaring disappointment with this set and that is with the sequencing. This is the most comprehensive collection of Johnson's material and as such there are alternate takes included. ...
...by side with their original counterparts which makes the whole very hard to listen to as each track is repeated, albeit a variant of the original. It still baffles me as to why the alternates were not on a separate disc from the originals. Even for me, a hardened fan of the genre, it makes for difficult listening if you using an old fashioned CD player. This is a wonderful and comprehensive archive but unfortunately does not work as a listening experience ...

Nixu1980 03.11.2009 · Read full review
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Review of Complete Recordings, The (All 41 Recordings) - Robert Johnson

An Older and Wiser Sequel

Advantages: Great voice, band
Disadvantages: None

...stronger with every listen. Feels Like Home with The Handsome Band and special guests. I am a big fan of Norah Jones. Her first album, Come Away with Me was an absolute classic. The album was certified diamond by the RIAA on February 15, 2005 having sold over 10 million copies in its first three years of release. It won five awards at the Grammy Awards of 2003, including "Record of the Year", "Album of the Year", and "Song of the Year" for "Don't ...
...to an article I read, Feels Like Home is the second album by jazz songwriter Norah Jones, released in 2004. It sold a million copies in the first week of its U.S. release, the first album to do so since Britney Spears' Oops!... I Did It Again (2000) and it was the second best-selling album of 2004, with about 4 million copies sold. It sold 1,920,000 copies on its first week worldwide. Probably the most popular song from the album is track number ...

Spottydog11 29.09.2009 · Read full review
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Review of Feels Like Home - Norah Jones

Blues from Brum

Advantages: Awesome talent, Blues solos
Disadvantages: Joanne Taylor Shaw sounds better???? It's really that good that's my only gripe

...I would never hear....a British white girl playing blues guitar so deep and passionately it made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end!!! Not only was I in total shock but it took me a good few minutes to ask her how long she had been playing like that ? "A few years" she replied "how old are you now" I asked "sixteen she said. I woke up a few seconds later on the floor. **White Sugar** Now 23 years old Joanne Shaw Taylor released her debut ...
...To Be? Time Has Come White Sugar Kiss The Ground Goodbye Heavy Heart Watch 'em Burn Blackest Day Joanne get's things started with "Going Home" which opens with a gut wrenching "Sea Sick Steve" like blues riff. the bass comes kicking in and then the drums crash in before you get the real guitar brilliance, For someone of 23 her vocal is all the more remarkable, her raspy smoky vocal belies her age and has all the power and grace of someone nearly ...

jcneil 15.09.2009 · Read full review
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Review of White Sugar - Joanne Shaw Taylor

Rory Gallagher - Rory Gallagher

Advantages: Recording Quality,Tone,lyrics
Disadvantages: None

...memorable,Personally this is my favourite Rory Gallagher album/era and a great introduction to Rory's playing.As far as i know this is his first solo album. The track listing is One. Laundromat Two. Just The Smile Three. Hands Up Four. For The Last Time Five. It's You Six. I'm Not Surprised Seven. Can't Believe It's True Eight. Gypsy Woman Nine. It Takes Time The recording quality is amazing,For then or now.It was released in 1971. Every song has ...

Stereotype62 29.08.2009 · Read full review
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Review of Rory Gallagher - Rory Gallagher