Dinah Washington - Dinah Jams (11 tracks) +Album Reviews

Dinah Jams

Leslie A. Cooper | 01/25/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"What a thrill it is for me to have this CD after all those years of listening to it on Hi-Fi vinyl! I had no idea that Dinah Jams was out on CD with 3 bonus tracks. In my opinion, this recording is one of the best representations of live 1950's jazz ever made. Dinah Washington is backed by a stellar band containing a veritable who's who of jazz greats. This recording contains many moments of sheer musical genius. Be prepared to have your socks knocked off!"

Nothin' Could Be Finah Than Dinah

Alfred Johnson | boston, ma | 05/06/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I admit to a very spotty interest in jazz over my life time and while I have always loved those 1940's swing bands, like that of Benny Goodman, it was only with the celebration of the centennial of Duke Ellington's birth in 1999 that I got a little more serious about this genre. Ken Burns' "Jazz" series for PBS gave me another boost. Still and all there are huge gaps in my knowledge and appreciation of the classic jazz tradition. This is a little odd in that there is a certain convergence between jazz and my favorite musical genre, the blues. The artist under review here exemplifies both those traditions, although she was not known as a jazz singer, as such. All I know is I like what I hear here.

And what is that? Well, how about a very salacious "Lover Come Back To Me", a heartfelt turn on the Johnny Mercer tune "Come Rain Or Come Shine", a seemingly created for her style Cole Porter classic " I've Got You Under My Skin" and a knock out "You Go To My Head". Hell, even if you don't know a thing about jazz you know Dinah has got that "thing".

"

Dinah Jams - Excellent Jazz

David R. Frederick | 09/25/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Dinah Jams was recorded at an "after hours club" in Los Angeles in the early morning hours after a Saturday Night concert date in 1954. Some of the best jazz musicians of all time were in the session. Dinah was "wailing", as only she could. The first track of her signature song "Blue Skies" lasts nearly ten minutes, and is like a glass of the finest wine on an end-of-summer afternoon. It just doesn't get any better."

Now this is what I call a JAM SESSION!!!

JoeyD | los gatos, ca | 07/28/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"When you open up the CD and you see the picture of all of those legends playing together in this incredible 1954 session, as a jazz fan it's hard not to be overwhelmed. For let's see... you've not only got the fabulous Miss D, but add into the mix Brownie, Clark Terry & Maynard Ferguson as your trumpet trio, Herb Geller on alto sax with the very underated Harold Land on tenor, Richie Powell & Junior Mance on piano, George Morrow and Keeter Betts on bass, and of course Brownie's right hand man, Max Roach on drums. Now you tell me, as a fan of jazz, what more do you need to be motivated to make this purchase? This is one of the most memorable jam sessions ever in the history of jazz music.

I've listened to this CD over and over and over again. It's one of my favorite jazz vocal recordings and one of the first jazz albums I ever purchased. What makes Dinah unique is the feeling and emotion she brings to each piece as if this is the last song she will ever sing and you need to remember every word that comes out of her soulful, bluesy, fervent voice. Just listen to her rendition of "Crazy He Calls Me" and tell me she isn't 100% absorbed in every syllable. However, the whole album is like that and the cats behind her are just as impassioned. Every solo is a standout, every jam spectacular and special.

If there was a Hall-of-Fame for jazz recordings, this one easily is a first ballot inductee!"

The Best Of "The Queen"

C. Katz | Peoples Republic Of Massachussettes | 12/22/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I made a list of the greatest jazz singers while rating another jazz vocal LP and mentioned Billie,Ella,Sarah Vaughn,and Betty Carter because they represented the quintessential singers of the swing,be-bop,and modern era's better than any one else (being in order Billie for swing,Sassy for Be-Bop,and Betty Carter for modern jazz while Ella just floats out there as sui genres and timeless).But I was mortified after that I did not include Dinah Washington who could be said to incorporate in her sound all the era's up to the era.But it was her blues infection and sense of swing that got her the nickname" The Queen".The "Swinging Miss D" had many great LP's but most of them are early on during her Emarcy period.This was not only her youthful talent but the care that the label put into Lp's like "Sings Bessie Smith" or "The Swinging Miss D" had exceptional bands and instead of pairing their singers with tenor saxophone players they had mid sized bands fronted by trumpet players.I think it is no coincidence that the best Washington,Sarah Vaughn,and Helen Merill LP's were with the great Clifford brown leading the pack (go to allmusic guide dot com and check the credits for this LP-it's amazing) but if Brownie wasn't there then they'd pull in Art Farmer,Maynard Ferguson,Clark Terry (the latter two are on this LP!!!) or some other trumpet ace.This is her best IMHO but check out rest of Emarcy catalogue for her best work.She truly was royalty at her peak.

Cheers

Chazz"

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