Dinah Washington - What a Diff'rence a Day Makes!

Dinah Washington had already enjoyed a career as a jazz and R&B singer when her 1959 recording of "What a Diff'rence a Day Makes" catapulted her to a new kind of popularity. Henceforth she would devote herself to singing ballads with orchestral backing. Though purists might object, the very gifts that distinguished her R&B singing remain in the later pop phase. Hers is one of the great sounds, a voice at once strong and breathy, with a focus that turns every note and every word into a richly nuanced event, uniquely shaped and loaded with meaning. --Stuart Broomer Amazon.com

What a difference a Day Makes

Truly enjoyed listening to Dina Washington singing all those beautiful songs in that CD. October 9, 2008

Dinah's invisible yet all-caressing voice will always linger in my mind...

Dinah Washington possessed a singularly beautiful voice that remains instantly unforgettable to this day. Dinah instinctively knew how to take a song and make it her own using her excellent diction and beautiful voice. Her voice is not unlike Billie Holiday's in that you can sense each and every nuance of all the emotions in the world in every single syllable Dinah ever sang. This CD gives us an excellent look at Dinah's strong ability to sing great ballads about the joy of love and love gone awry. Dinah makes each ballad into a type of symphony that very few singers could ever hope to recreate.

The CD track set starts off with the beautiful "I Remember You." Dinah sings the first few bars a Capella; and this REALLY shows off her exquisite voice and perfect diction. The musical arrangement that then begins enhances the beauty of the melody with strings, percussion, flute and piano while never detracting so much as an ounce from Dinah's powerful voice. The chorus sings well, too.

Other special numbers on this CD include a haunting rendition of "Cry me A River" with Dinah's voice gliding through the lyrics like a flowing melody all its own. The musical arrangement and the chorus help; but Dinah carries this song without question. "What A Diff'rence A Day Made" displays Dinah's thoughtfulness once again; she takes the song's title "What A Diff'rence A Day Makes" and changes "Makes" to "Made" and this tiny little shift alone makes the ballad even more beautiful than it was before. Dinah's attention to every last detail always made her performance stronger and more commanding; you can't help but focus on the sound of her beautiful voice whenever you hear it.

"Manhattan" gives Dinah the chance to belt out this classic love ballad once again in her own way. You'll notice how Dinah used the subtlest changes in rhythm and enunciation of syllables to evoke strong emotional reactions from her audience. The musical arrangement positively shines while the chorus in the background harmonizes perfectly, too!

One bonus of this CD is that you get three extra tracks: you get the first version of "Time After Time" in addition to the version that made it to the record album final cut; and you'll enjoy "Come On Home," too. Dinah does a superb job with "It Could Happen To You;" and I confess I don't know why this masterpiece was not released on the record album. Dinah sings "It Could Happen To You" so skillfully with a special degree of sensitivity that I rarely hear.

The liner notes include an excellent essay about Dinah's career by Al Young; and the art work exceeds my expectations with great use of colors and prints. The photos of Dinah are wonderful to look at as well; and the extra bonus track of Dinah joking with her peers shows how Dinah really enjoyed herself when she recorded this fine music.

It would be misleading to state that Dinah Washington truly left this world when she passed so prematurely in late 1962. Indeed, Dinah lives on very well through her music. There are dozens of Dinah Washington CDs out there; and this one is certainly a "must-have" for Dinah Washington fans. I also recommend this CD for people who enjoy classic pop vocals and easy listening music from the late 1950s.
April 24, 2007

Classic Vocal

I have the LP of the same. Listening to the recordings again bought chills to my body. Wonderfully romantic. August 31, 2006

What a beautiful voice!

I have heard of Dinah Washington but had no idea what a totally beautiful voice she had.What a romantic album! I would recommend it to anyone that enjoys dreamy lovely music. I will certainly purchase more of her music. February 17, 2006

Great singer, great songs, awful arrangements

Dinah was at his best back then. She sang these american standards brilliantly. It's such a shame that the arrangements made this record unbareble. Really, ever since I bought other Dina's Cds (e.g.: Swingin' Ms. D) , I have never returned to this very one. But the most terrible side effect of the comercial success of this recording in 1959, is that for the following years all arrangers have insisted in the same sounding approach. That is why it is very rare to find uptempo swinging tracks among her last recordings, which I personally think it is when she found her best. That is a real shame! .... June 17, 2002

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