 |  | Passionate, personal, and professional. |  |
A group of consummate pros works here with Abbey Lincoln to produce a jazz album that is polished but sometimes playful, and emotional but never careless, with six songs written by Lincoln. Stan Getz on sax is at the top of his form in what turned out to be his last recorded album. Hank Jones on piano adds a sense of romance and sometimes mystery with his frequent (wonderful) solos, and Charlie Haden on bass and Mark Johnson on drums provide the beat. On two songs, "Bird Alone" and "A Time for Love," Maxine Roach adds a haunting viola.
Lincoln's voice, clearly influenced by Billie Holiday and Bessie Smith, may be an acquired taste--reedy, sometimes a little bit "blatty," and lacking sweetness--but she is an actress with a song, and her passion and oneness with her lyrics give her a unique sound that enables her to convey the essence of the music, becoming an interpreter and poet rather than simply a singer.
"Bird Alone" is a song of mystery, "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime," a song of sorrow, and "You Made Me Funny," a "talk-story"--an eerily spoken Lincoln soliloquy, full of contrasts. With "And How I Hoped for Your Love," she branches out into a bossa nova beat, while the magnificent "When I'm Called Home" is a wrenching ballad of loss and missed opportunities. Lincoln sings many of these songs in a minor key, while the solos by Getz and Hank Jones are often more upbeat and bring the music into happier realms in major keys. With a timbre the same as that of Getz's sax, Lincoln's voice becomes one with the sounds of her musicians and allows all of them to soar. n Mary Whipple
August 4, 2005 | | Essential because of "When I'm Called Home" Jones&Getz | |
You can pick this album to death if you want. You can say that "You Made Me Funny" is self-indulgent, if you want; or that "Brother, Can You Spare A Dime" is too slow and too antiquated to belong on an album like Abbey Lincoln's. I won't disagree with you, but you're missing the point. "When I'm Called Home," as done here by Ms. Lincoln, is one of the finest recordings ever. Everytime I hear it, I am stopped in my tracks. If I'm driving my car, I just have to get to the nearest curb and let the emotions overcome me. And Hank Jones' intro on "Summer Wishes Winter Dreams" is one of the most exquisite piano solos ever. Add to that the fact that this was Getz' last (or one of his last) sessions, and he blows on this like he knew that that would be the case, and you have an album that's absolutely essential for its high points.
January 20, 2004Abbey Lincoln is one of those artists that grows in stature with repeated listening. If you just want beautiful vocals, check out some early Ella Fitzgerald, but if you want a recording that rewards with each repeated playing , this cd fits the bill. Ms. Lincoln's voice can be raspy, however in contrast to the cool lines Getz blows and the tasteful piano style of Hank Jones the combination mixes very well indeed. Abbey Lincoln does not make for good background music, but if you are willing to really focus on her delivery, pay heed to the lyrics and let the music wash over you it can make for a very enjoyable experience.
March 22, 2003Abbey Lincoln is one of those artists that grows in stature with repeated listening. If you just want beautiful vocals, check out some early Ella Fitzgerald, but if you want a recording that rewards with each repeated playing , this cd fits the bill. Ms. Lincoln's voice can be raspy, however in contrast to the cool lines Getz blows and the tasteful piano style of Hank Jones the combination mixes very well indeed. Abbey Lincoln does not make for good background music, but if you are willing to really focus on her delivery, pay heed to the lyrics and let the music wash over you it can make for a very enjoyable experience.
March 22, 2003| | | Paying Tribute to the Master | |
Had Stan Getz had more solo breaks on this work, it would rank as one of my all-time favorites. His playing was spontaneous and lyrical and absolutely beautiful. But like other reviewers, I skip forward through a lot of the singing. Emotion alone does not stretch Ms. Lincoln's range more than one octave. The "You made me funny" track is terrible, self-indulgent poetry. Ah, but Stan Getz is ON. "Up Jumped Springtime" is masterful. I spent a lot of time listening to this CD because we had already lost Stan when it was released. It shows how a virtuoso transcend the limits of a studio. If you are a Getz fan, you have to have this album. It reminds me of his "Forrest Eyes" sound track, in that he seriously dominated what could have been a silly session.
December 17, 2001More reviews at Amazon.com ...
