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Artist:
Diana Krall
All for You is a tribute to the Nat "King" Cole Trio of the 1940s, when Cole performed as both a singer and a pianist. Krall, like her heroes Lena Horne and Carmen McRae, is also a singer-pianist, and she plays both roles on most of the songs here. She's able to link her singing to her piano playing in sympathetic ways and projects tremendous feeling through both. Like Cole in the '40s, Krall plays with a drummerless trio--here with guitarist Russell Malone and bassist Paul Keller. Their sense of intimate rapport is especially valuable on ballads such as "You Call It Madness" and "I'm Thru with Love," but also allows such uptempo tunes as "Hit That Jive Jack" to swing with surprising lightness. --Geoffrey Himes
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Our Price: $8.33 |
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Artist:
Edith Piaf
The voice of Edith Piaf carries with it perhaps more national identity than that of any other recorded artist in the world. Tiny, frail, and tragic in her life, Piaf brought French identity to the rest of the world in a way that was understandable to all. Known as "the Little Sparrow" in her country, her voice was strong, bold, and passionate, even as she grew more infirm. The archetypical torch singer, she had massive popular success with songs like "Milord," "Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien," and "La Vie, L'Amour," included here with 18 other classics. While this is a great compilation of some of her best material, the complete lack of enclosed notes or biographical material may frustrate those not familiar with her fascinating career. However, the work of one of the most original songbirds of all time speaks loud and clear for itself. --Derek Rath
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Our Price: $6.88 |
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Artist:
Various Artists
A perfect martini-and-mistletoe combo, Christmas Cocktails will gaily seduce you with its bevy of nostalgic and occasionally campy holiday fare. Vocal vixens Peggy Lee, Julie London (her "I'd Like You for Christmas" will melt the ice cubes in your fridge), Kay Starr, and Nancy Wilson join forces with perennial crooners such as Lou Rawls, Dean Martin, and the immortal Nat "King" Cole, along with a handful of instrumental big-band numbers and odd, at times cheese-ball-shaped jazz organ pieces from Jimmy McGriff and the flammable Eddie Dundstedter, among others. But the essential item that makes plunking down your pelts for this very chi-chi set is none other than Billy May's lovably kitschy workout called "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer Mambo." It's a scream. The package comes complete with its own cocktail minimanual and the recipes for Hot Toddys and Hot Tom and Jerrys. Garishly retro and naughtily nostalgic, this kind of slinky Christmas gift should probably be illegal in many prudish states. --Martin Keller
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Artist:
Amanda Palmer
The idea was a simple one: songs for the piano and voice, recorded in one week in a bedroom, just to get them down on tape. But like all things surrounding the Dresden Dolls' Amanda Palmer-a one-woman machine who is a rock musician, artist, writer, yoga enthusiast, political activist and more-simplicity is not an easy thing to come by. Her small idea snowballed into something grand, exciting and nothing short of brilliant in the form of her debut solo album, Who Killed Amanda Palmer. Produced by Ben Folds, this is a departure from the music she creates as a critically acclaimed Dresden Doll and a major step towards showcasing her maturity as a songwriter, performer and most importantly as an artist.
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Our Price: $7.36 |
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Artist:
Norah Jones
Norah Jones Photos (by Danny Clinch) ...
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Artist:
Various Artists
The movie version of Kander and Ebb's Chicago was long in the making, but it's well worth the wait. Director Rob Marshall's main change was to turn the classic musical numbers into fantasy sequences, but of course this isn't obvious on CD. Most importantly, the arrangements are bursting with life while being true to the show's spirit, and the casting is simply inspired. Catherine Zeta-Jones actually started her career on the British boards (she was in The Pajama Game and 42nd Street), so her turn as slinky Velma Kelly isn't that surprising; Renée Zellweger as Roxie Hart is more of a leftfield choice, but she shows she can handle the singing demands with pizzazz. The real revelation may well be rapper Queen Latifah, who belts out "When You're Good to Mama" with a marvelous affinity for the material. OK, so the R&B reprise of "Cell Block Tango/He Had It Coming" by Queen Latifah, Macy Gray, and Lil' Kim fails to convince, while Anastacia's "Love Is a Crime" is just blah (rest easy, purists, it's over the end credits). On the other hand, the CD provides two bonuses: "Class," which was cut from the movie, and "I Move On," a great duet written by Kander and Ebb for ...
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Our Price: $4.96 |
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Artist:
Barbara Cook
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Our Price: $11.31 |
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Artist:
Edith Piaf
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A romantic's collection if ever there was one, this cachet of songs graced the equally heart-tugging film. King of the Croon and Swoon, Nat King Cole's "Stardust" is probably the most obvious of the young lovers' themes here. Louis Armstrong and Jimmy Durante, ordinarily not the most romantic of sorts, prove themselves worthy contenders with "A Kiss to Build a Dream On" and "As Time Goes By," respectively. "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning" gets an elegantly simple treatment from Carly Simon, and Tammy Wynette's "Stand by Your Man" confirms her status as the late, great Queen of Country. The only disappointments with this collection are the absence of heart-wrenching numbers by Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, or even Johnny Mathis; and the inclusion of the horrendous rendition of "When I Fall in Love" by the over-rated Celine Dion with Clive Griffin. --Steve Gdula
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Artist:
Billie Holiday
Lady Day: The Best Of Billie Holiday is an ideal introduction to the Voice of Jazz in all its enduring glory. This incomparable collection draws on the 10-CD boxed set Lady Day: The Complete Billie Holiday on Columbia (1933-1944) (CXK 85470), representing not only her finest work, but American jazz and pop singing at its zenith. Accompanied sublimely by a Who's Who of the Swing Era (including her soulmate Lester Young, Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, Buck Clayton, Roy Eldridge, Ben Webster, Johnny Hodges, Harry Carney, Jo Jones, and pianist-arranger Teddy Wilson, who was often at the helm when Holiday entered the studio), Billie Holiday masterfully renders a host of mostly-classic pop tunes. Fans are drawn to her musical triumphs and personal tragedies. She is a mysterious icon in the same vein as Miles Davis. Columbia possesses the first and finest recordings of her entire career! This material has never sounded clearer and more intimate!
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Our Price: $13.89 |
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