Lullaby Of Birdland--and sweet lullabies from songbirds, too
Matthew G. Sherwin | last seen screaming at Amazon customer service | 04/30/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Ultimate Diva Collection: The Diva Series may not be complete but it sure does do a fine job with the material it offers us! I wish they had added a song or two to make this more substantial; but the sound quality is good and I like that artwork, too.
Ella Fitzgerald, The First lady Of Song, gives us a live track of "How High The Moon." "How High The Moon" charms me completely when Ella sings this; she could sing the phone book and when Ella was done you'd be applauding and cheering for more! "How High The Moon" is a huge highlight of this CD; and Ella scats wonderfully, too. Sarah Vaughan also weighs in with "Lullaby Of Birdland;" this too has always been a favorite of mine and Sarah Vaughan certainly does this one up right! Sarah never misses a beat and the jazzy arrangement works wonders for this ballad! Dinah Washington also scores a hit with her fine interpretation of "Teach Me Tonight." Dinah's voice sounds great--and just one listen will tell you why Dinah Washington is one of my favorite songbirds!
Billie Holiday contributes a fine rendition of "Body And Soul;" Billie Holiday's voice sounds a bit more mature on this track but make no mistake about it--Billie still gives a brilliant performance. Terrific! Carmen McRae also makes good on "You Took Advantage Of Me." I first heard "You Took Advantage Of Me" is a tune I first heard in Judy Garland's version of A Star Is Born; but when Carmen McRae sings it this ballad still sounds new and fresh to my ears! Blossom Dearie also delivers a sensitive rendition of "Someone To Watch Over Me." "Someone To Watch Over Me" starts with Blossom Dearie performing a rarely heard opening verse; and when the actual songs starts Blossom Dearie makes this number take flight! "Someone To Watch Over Me" always tugs at my heartstrings when I hear it.
Astrud Gilberto, with her usual ever-so-slightly-flat-yet awesome voice, sings "Fly Me To The Moon" with panache and it all works very well. The jazzy, bossa nova arrangement for "Fly Me To The Moon" has a very sophisticated sound to it and this is a major highlight of this CD. Etta James also does a great job on "A Sunday Kind Of Love." Etta belts this out just as good as the best of the belters ever could--and this impresses me greatly.
Helen Merrill also does "You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To" with heart and soul--and I love that horn treatment! Helen Merrill never sings a superfluous note and her voice is an instrument that sounds so very fine! The CD also closes with "It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)" performed by Ernestine Anderson; Ernestine sings this with grace and style. It truly gives us a strong ending for this exceptional album.
Ultimate Diva Collection: The Diva Series could have been more complete but because what we do get is so good I will give this four stars anyway. This is one CD fans of these songbirds would never want to pass by.
Enjoy!
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