21 track expanded reissue of the complete classic 1956 album The Swinging Miss D, which reunited the vocalist with the arranging talents of Mr. Q himself, Quincy Jones. As a bonus, all of the other tunes from the same ses... more »sions (tracks 12 to 14), as well as seven Jazz standards from one of their 1955 dates have been added. Included here are Dinah's wonderful renditions of 'Blue Gardenia' and 'I'll Close My Eyes', both selected by Clint Eastwood for the soundtrack of his movie The Bridges of Madison County. Includes 12-page booklet. Essential Jazz Albums.« less
21 track expanded reissue of the complete classic 1956 album The Swinging Miss D, which reunited the vocalist with the arranging talents of Mr. Q himself, Quincy Jones. As a bonus, all of the other tunes from the same sessions (tracks 12 to 14), as well as seven Jazz standards from one of their 1955 dates have been added. Included here are Dinah's wonderful renditions of 'Blue Gardenia' and 'I'll Close My Eyes', both selected by Clint Eastwood for the soundtrack of his movie The Bridges of Madison County. Includes 12-page booklet. Essential Jazz Albums.
CD Reviews
One of Her Best
A. Griffin | New York, NY United States | 02/28/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This CD was given a renaissance when Doubletree Hotels used 'Relax Max' in one of its commericals. When I heard Dinah insouciantly bend the word 'Reeelax' on TV, I knew there would be people under 60 all over the country surfing the 'net to find the source of that extraordinary voice. Dinah is cozily ensconced in Quincy Jones' cheeky arrangement and the result is the sophisticated sound the record companies stopped making decades ago.
But that's not all. Dinah's saucy 'Is You Is, or Is You Ain't, My Baby?' is a must have in the Miss D. canon. Tack on the rarely sung Ellington/Tizol standards 'Perdido' and 'Caravan', and you have one of Dinah's best CDs. (Though the lyrics for these last two are fatuous, the compositions and the performances overcome those flaws.) Highly recommended."
Mizz D--The Truly American Voice of Jazz and Blues
D. Davis | Southern CA | 09/14/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This Dinah Washington recording from 1957, produced by Quincy Jones (who helped Sarah Vaughan with the "Misty" album produced in France in 1958) is everything a Dinah Washington album should be: fiesty, swinging, bloozy, and unique. Dinah Washington (who died much too early--in 1963) is a truly American voice--what does that mean? There are no words to describe it. This is why you must listen. Dinah Washington must be an auditory experience. No words are descriptive enough to capture who she is or what she does. No other voice rings as loudly or as clearly as hers does; no other voice ever will. Her performances here are spectacular and swinging. "Perdido" and "Relax Max" are marvelous. Washington is in control of her music, yet the spirits soar so freely around her--this is what she captures. If you're new to Dinah Washington, then start with this one!"
Oh, how she swings!
literarylady | 04/17/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Dinah Washington has THE voice! She is so cool, and this album swings! Quincy Jones helped to produce this album, and his influence shows. The songs are familiar, but have her style and sass. I love her renditions of "Perdido," and "Makin' Whoopee," and "Relax Max" gets my fingers snapping. This album is perfect for your cozy cocktail and dinner parties; it puts everyone in a good mood. The CD box itself isn't shown here yet, but if it is the same version/release that I have, the production of the case is unique. It's a fold-over package with cool 50's design, and the pictures and liner notes are excellent."
Foot tapping, beautiful Quincy and Dinah, FUN!
Suzanne Benson | Anchorage, AK United States | 05/09/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I am listening as I write, will try to get through the whole album before I finish this review. The sound on this album is very rich for an old, restored album...amazing, really; the sound is as good as a newly produced album. It has 18 songs on it; the original only had 12. Has anyone seen the Doubletree ad with the wonderful graphics...and Dinah singing "Relax Max". Well, that's what got me onto this album, and it was not a mistake...this album is truly a winner. Lots of foot-tapping joy, with some nice ballads to calm you along the way. I'm so glad my mother wasn't a fan of Quincy and Dinah, so I can enjoy this as new, with no offending memories attached. I will not name a song that is better than any other...they are ALL good. Well, on second thought, "i'll drown in my tears" is a very old fashioned bluesy song, so great! "you let my love grow cold" is very swingy, irresistable. I must stop my review at this point, but this album is a winner. The songs on it are ALL winners. The best of the best of this genre."
Track Listings (21) - Disc #1