Jazz & Blues > H Jazz & Blues > Holiday, Billie > Classic Jazz Vocals

Advantages: The price of the Album was good and within my budget
Disadvantages: The music store had to order the Album in, did not have it in stock

This was an excellent Album, made easy listening. I have long been a Billy Holiday fan but to those people who have not heard her soulfull voice, I would recommend this album as an intro into the ninteen thirties blues scene. Backed by the Ken Burns Jazz Band, Billy's voice is so sypathetically handled and allowed to blend with each mellow note. Its a rare combination of orchestra and voice, that is simply so in harmony with each other that the ...
...Club ethos. On listening to tracks three and four, " Me Myself and I " and "Without Your Love" with thier slight swing rhythm, you almost feel you are part of the audience, sitting at one of the tables. A drink in one hand and a cigarette in the other, smoke filling the sultry air of the room, disturbed only by the background murmer of waiters as they ply the customers with cocktails. A small group of dancing couples shuffle round the floor in time ... Read review

Advantages: Probably can be picked up for a fiver now
Disadvantages: None

...as follows 1- Crocodile shoes 2- Cowboy dreams 3- Only one heart 4- Love will find someone for you 5- Bitter and twisted 6- Dragons 7- Don't wanna go home 8- Between a woman and a man 9- Angel 10- Once upon a time 11- Calling out your name ... Read review

Advantages: Alto saxophony at it's best.
Disadvantages: Not to everyones taste.

...la Pinta 5. Besame Mucho On Amazon this album is around £6.50. iTunes lists the album as 2004 release with 17 (some missing from the Amazon listing) tracks, at £7.99, this is the version that I have and am reviewing. Also I will not review every one of the 17 tracks but will concentrate on two or three tracks that stand out, and give you a full track list at the end of the review. ~~~~Reviewed tracks~~~~ Melancholy Madeline: This track is quite ...
...a sense of fun. Besame Mucho: The title track and a jazz/Latin standard. He plays this slightly differently from any other version I have heard. For a start he plays it so high it is sometimes difficult to realise it is sax and not trumpet. Then there is the embellishment of melody, which is really very clever. Finally, there is a sense of edginess that I like about this version, it is smooth, but in places 'breaks out' into a bit of 'edge'. Great ... Read review

Advantages: Some great musicianship
Disadvantages: Never really lets go

Mind Transplant was an album by Alphonse Mouzon featuirng Tommy Bolin. The strange character that is Alphonse - a jazz fusion drummer who is of Afro-American, French and Blackfoot Indian descent oozes funkiness. I tried to get into this album but having listened to Billy Cobham's Spectrum, I just couldn't help but compare the two and this one came off worst. Whilst Tommy Bolin's guitar work is as good as ever on this album, you feel that he is somewhat ...
...or amazing solo. Mind Transplant seems rather caged for me and whilst it has undoubtedly good musicianship and some funkyness, it's not as free-flowing as some of its contemporaries. 1. Mind Transplant 2. Snow Sound 3. Carbon Dioxide 4. Ascorbic Acid 5. Happiness Is Loving You 6. Some Of The Things Pepole Do 7. Golden Rainbows 8. Nitroglycerin ... Read review

Advantages: Amazing collaboration, so funky
Disadvantages: None

...& Trumpet John Tropea - Guitar Ron Carter - Acoustic bass Ray Barretto - Congas Track List Quadrant 4 Searching For the Right Door Spectrum Anxiety Taurian Matador Stratus To the Women of My Life Le Lis Snoopy's Search Red Baron ... Read review