- If I Were A Bell – Hal Money’s Orchestra
- You Do Something To Me – Quincey Jones’s Orchestra
- What a Difference a Day Makes – Belford Hendrick’s Orchestra
- Sometimes I’m Happy – As 1
- Caravan – As 2
- Teach Me Tonight – As 1
- Blue Skies – Clark Terry, Gus Chappell, Rick Henderson, Eddie
Lockjaw Davis, Junior Mance, Keter Betts, Ed Thigpen.
- I’ve Got You Under My Skin – Clifford Brown, Maynard Ferguson,
Clark Terry, Herb Geller, Junior Manse, Keter Betts, and Max Roach.
- Invitation – Personnel Unknown
- Is You Is Or Is You Ain’t My Baby? As 2
- Nothing Ever Changes My Love For You. – As 1
- Bargain Day - As 2
- Goodbye - As 2
- Perdido - As 2
- There’ll Be a Jubilee - As 1
- I’ll Close My Eyes - As 2
Dinah Washington has a lot in common with another
fine singer Carmen McRae, they were both tough cookies who you didn’t
mess with, they were both divas in the true meaning of the word and
both played piano. The other thing that they shared, was the misfortune
of being around at the same time as Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan!
This CD gives an excellent feel for the outstanding
talents of Ms Washington, although regarded as a blues singer by some,
she was much more than that. This album demonstrates her ability across
a wide range of settings from big band to small jazz group and she
excels in all of them. There is also some fine jazz solos, listen
to the trumpets on Under My Skin.
The opening track, If I Were A Bell gives notice
of the excitement to follow. Dinah had everything, perfect diction,
perfect intonation, a wonderful jazz feel and the ability to turn
every song into something special, listen to her interpretation of
Invitation as an example. Even the jokey, Is You Is, is made into
something far from ordinary. The Quincey Jones Arrangements helps
a lot as well with Milt Hinton’s bass laying down a good line and
a fine trombone solo (Quentin Jackson?).
Some of these tracks were no doubt made with a view
to the Top 20 of the day, if it were the same today, I would be a
‘Top of the Pops’ man! Bargain Day is new to me, but again Dinah delivers
and the song turns into something special again.
Perdido is another swinging Quincey Jones arrangement,
beautifully played by his band. There are also short, but interesting
solos from muted trumpet and alto. Dinah’s timing on this track is
very reminiscent of Ella on ‘The Song Books’. Jubilee has some nice
alto from Cannonball Adderley and this track is another real swinger.
The unaccompanied verse on Close My Eyes is a real
gem.
Unless you own most of the original albums these
tracks come from, this is a must buy CD. Dinah Washington only lived
to be 39, which is not long enough; such a talent should have been
spared.
Don Mather
CD Reviews
VERVE
065-215-2
