Helen Merrill - Dream Of You

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1956
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:41
Size: 92,8 MB
Art: Front

(2:35)  1. People Will Say We're In Love
(3:24)  2. By Myself
(4:11)  3. Any Place I Hang My Hat Is My Home
(3:34)  4. I've Never Seen
(3:02)  5. He Was Too Good To Me
(3:10)  6. A New Town Is A Blue Town
(3:26)  7. You're Lucky To Me
(2:46)  8. Where Flamingos Fly
(2:55)  9. Dream Of You
(4:08) 10. I'm A Fool To Want You
(3:09) 11. I'm Just A Lucky So And So
(3:16) 12. Troubled Waters

One thing that set Helen Merrill apart from other '50s jazz singers was her acutely dramatic vocal style. Her earnest phrasing, elongated notes, and incandescent tone might even strike the contemporary listener as qualities more appropriate for the Broadway stage than a jazz club. On 1955's Dream of You, though, Merrill found reconciliation, sounding both melodramatic and swinging within Gil Evans' darkly spacious, yet economical arrangements. Suitably, torchy ballads are prominent. On the somewhat grandiose side there's "Where Flamingos Fly" and "I'm a Fool to Want You," which find Merrill in a pensive mood amidst a variety of tempo and timbre shifts. More subdued ground is covered on "I've Never Seen" and "He Was Too Good to Me." Briskly swinging numbers like "People Will Say We're in Love," "By Myself," and "You're Lucky to Me" balance the program and feature the demure, yet fluid delivery Merrill favored on fast numbers. What is most impressive on this date is a group of sultry, medium tempo numbers including "Anyplace I Lay My Hat Is Home," "Just a Lucky So and So," and in particular "A New Town Is a Blue Town." The programmatic quality of Merrill's coyly sensual voice and Evans' slightly askew, bubbling reeds and languid rhythm conjure up dramatic, balmy southern scenes á la Tennessee Williams. In the picturesque arrangements one also hears the seeds of Evans' own future collaborations with Miles Davis. Even though her collaborations with Clifford Brown and others are great recordings, this one with Gil Evans shows off more of Merrill's expressive vocal talents, due in no small part to the sympathetic and urbane arrangements. ~ Stephen Cook https://www.allmusic.com/album/dream-of-you-mw0000090446

Personnel: Helen Merrill - vocals;  Gil Evans - arranger, conductor;  John LaPorta - clarinet, alto saxophone;  Jerome Richardson - flute, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone;  Danny Bank - baritone saxophone;  Art Farmer, Louis Mucci - trumpet;  Jimmy Cleveland, Joe Bennett - trombone;  Hank Jones - piano;  Janet Putnam - harp; Barry Galbraith - guitar; Oscar Pettiford - double bass;  Joe Morello - drums

Dream Of You

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V.A. - Maestros of Cool : A Tribute To Steely Dan Vol. 1 And Vol. 2

Styles: Jazz-Rock, Fusion
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 129:11
Size: 298,6 MB
Art: Front

 1. Nathan Haines - Fm ( 4:39)
 2. Stereo - Remember ( 5:02)
 3. Debbie Deane - Any World ( 4:08)
 4. Raw Stylus - 37 Hours ( 5:24)
 5. Nash Kato - Dirty Work ( 3:37)
 6. Pam Bricker - Home At Last ( 4:58)
 7. Tony Gallo - Black Cow ( 5:39)
 8. GrooveTHing - The Fez ( 5:30)
 9. David Garfield - Josie ( 5:40)
10. Carl Orr - Tomorrow's Girls ( 4:21)
11. Liquid Blue - Rikki Don't Lose That Number ( 4:44)
12. Jango - Joyful Caravan ( 4:33)
13. David Garfield - Babylon Sisters ( 6:26)
14. Chuck Loeb - Maxine ( 5:26)
15. Don Braden - Kid Charlemagne ( 6:38)
16. hr-Bigband - Pretzel Logic ( 5:26)
17. Justin Morell - My Rival ( 4:47)
18. Abebi Stafford - Green Earrings ( 4:09)
19. Gustavo Assis-Brasil - Aja ( 7:02)
20. Stolen Van - Aves of Altamira ( 5:40)
21. Alex Gunia & Philipp Van Endert - Third World Man ( 6:45)
22. Cornelius Bumpus - Chain Lightning ( 5:06)
23. Ben Lacy - Hey Nineteen ( 3:16)
24. Trinity - Steal It Again Dan (10:04)

A fabulous compilation of cover versions of songs from Steely Dan, MAESTROS OF COOL is far too good for the tribute album stamp. What we've got here is a compilation disc featuring an incredibly wide assemblage of musicians, most of whom, although likely unknown to listeners, have not only been influenced by Steely Dan, but have gone on to create spectacular and unique music that ventures far beyond that of their mentors. 24 tracks on 2 CDs with artists from the USA, Europe and Australia. Featured artists include Donald Fagin, Bernard Purdie, Randy Brecker, John Patitucci and Dave Weckl. https://www.amazon.com/Maestros-Cool-Tribute-Steely-Dan/dp/B000H8SE58

Maestros of Cool: A Tribute To Steely Dan

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