Diana Ross - Blue

Nearly 35 years after being tagged for debasing Billie Holiday's legacy with her slick pop vocals in the biopic Lady Sings the Blues--an approach producer Berry Gordy claims he had her take to make her "more relatable to a general audience"--Diana Ross gets a chance to redeem herself with these jazzier, alternate versions of the same material. Recorded around the time of the 1972 film (several bonus tracks come directly from the movie sessions), the original album was conceived as a companion piece to the soundtrack. But it was shelved and, we are told, lost in the vaults until recently. The good news is that when she commits herself to jazz, with a group of top jazz musicians behind her (playing arrangements by Benny Golson and Oliver Nelson), Ross holds her own. Her renditions of Holiday staples such as "You've Changed" and "Easy Living" are a bit mild, but lovely and relaxed. She makes up for the basic thinness of her voice with her cool, immaculate handling of melody. It's when she relies on her pop-soul instincts, as she does on a painfully awkward reading of "I Loves You Porgy," or has to contend with album arranger Gil Askey's Vegas-style touches, that she sounds unconvincing or unsteady. But Ross' diehard fans won't want to be without "Blue" and her more casual admirers will be intrigued by this departure. --Lloyd Sachs Amazon.com

 diane iz boss!
i'm a long-term dina ross fan & just the discovery of un-released material "tweeks" my ear-drums. however i must say that if you don't care for her enormous talent@ all then you wouldn't like blue which is a nice testament to her adaptations of jazz standards from the sizzling seventies!!!!! December 18, 2007

 BLUE is Beautiful!
This collection of previously unreleased songs (although recorded over 30 years ago) are refreshingly new and hauntingly beautiful. One can hear the tireless efforts of a young Diana Ross interpreting songs of Lady Day. Songs newly restored and heard for the first time since the "Lady Sings The Blues" project of 1972. These songs are warm, exciting, and deliciously haunting. DIANA ROSS is a powerhouse of talent and "BLUE" Is Beautiful! August 31, 2007

 I Feel BLUE
I very much anticipated on hearing this album when it first came out, but I have to admit I thought it was another compilation from Motown or RCA, so when I found out that it was unreleased songs from 30 something years ago, I thought I must get it. Before buying the album I read some reviews on it here, even though "Blue" was rated really good, I had to read the negative reviews too, at first I thought they can't be right and they're still not, they complain on the music being uneven, which of course is not true, the music on this album is very even, very good & smooth, just like Jazz music should be and is. The songs compliment each other very well making this album perfect for a 4 1/2 star rating. The only thing I do have a problem with is Diana Ross' singing voice on here, now don't get me wrong I love Diana Ross I have so many albums of hers from compilations to studio ones, but Ms. Ross' voice wasn't matured enough yet to sing these type of songs, especially "My Man" which she kills, the only one that should be aloud to sing that is Barbra Streisand. Now I loved Diana Ross in "Lady Sings The Blues" but still there was a reason they didn't release this album back then, it was a smart move to release "Touch Me In The Morning" instead of this one, luckily Diana's singing voice matured over the years and went on to sing quite a few power ballads, like "It's My Turn"; "One More Chance" and "Home" to name a few. Overall I give this album a 3 1/2 star rating, maybe with a few more listens I'll upgrade the rating to a 4. July 22, 2007

 Blue is Beautiful, Calming, and Relaxing
The Blue CD is beautiful, calming, and relaxing music. As always Diana Ross gives us her best. I have most of her other music. This adds to my collection. June 28, 2007

  Blue Me Away
What Album has been on the jazz charts for half a year and was recorded 30 years ago. The answer is Diana Ross's 'Blue'. Listen to it and you'll know why!! June 24, 2007

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