Search - Various Artists :: Great Ladies Sing the Blues

Janice J. (Janice) from CULVER CITY, CA
Reviewed on 6/5/2021...

There are some great songs and great singers on this CD - Ella Fitzgerald (Love For Sale), Nina Simone (Trouble In Mind) and Anita O'Day (God Bless the Child) -- but the sound is somewhat disappointing; I had to crank up the volume to hear some tracks properly.

It boggles the mind that these great ladies of jazz and blues are now almost forgotten, but so it is.

This is not the blues

Blues Rev | Ridgefield Park, NJ United States | 08/22/2002

(2 out of 5 stars)

"Yes, these are great ladies but they are not singing the Blues. They are singing Jazz. As far as a Jazz album goes, I rate this 5 STARS.
As a Blues musician, I was truely disappointed that the producer of this CD listed it as a Blues album. There's not a Blues lick on this album.
If you're looking for great ladies to sing the Blues, don't look here. If you're looking for great ladies to sing slow sad Jazz, you found it.
There are those people that will disagree with me on this CD. I have read the previous reviews. I'll state again, as far as a Jazz CD, absolutely wonderful. I highly recommend. As far as a Blues CD, no way.
Seeing as I am not a big fan of Jazz, I have listed my copy of this CD on Amazon.com to sell as "Like new." Someone out there will enjoy this CD."

Ladies sing the blues...

Matthew G. Sherwin | last seen screaming at Amazon customer service | 04/26/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Great Ladies Sing the Blues is a very strong CD that features some of the best songbirds ever singing timeless blues songs. The sound quality is very good and the artwork impresses me also.



The CD opens with Billie Holiday singing "Good Morning Heartache." Billie's more mature voice is able to covey her pain so clearly; and her voice is still clear as a bell. Her excellent diction and her uncanny sense of timing enhance Billie's performance all the more. Ella Fitzgerald, the First Lady Of Song, also does a smashing job on "Love For Sale." "Love For Sale" features Ella at her very best and she never misses a beat! Ella's voice is very distinctive and "Love For Sale" is easily a major highlight of this album.



Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong team up for a stunning rendition of "Summertime" from Porgy And Bess; and the strings are used to great advantage! I love how Louis Armstrong rally plays that horn--it's incredible. He could sing well, too! Billie Holiday then returns to sing a whoppingly awesome version of "My Man." "My Man" sounds better than ever when Billie sings it; she is able to use her vocal talents to make this number shine brighter than gold!



In addition, Dina Washington performs "Cry Me A River;" I always loved this song and when Dinah Washington sings it it's all very pretty. The strings sound great and Dinah sings this very professionally. Julie London, who sang this song often, would be proud! Nina Simone also sings "Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out" to perfection--and beyond! The title is so true I can't tell you how true it really is. "Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out" is a brilliant blues tune that Nina Simone enhances even further with her excellent interpretation of this classic song.



Shirley Horn performs "I Got It Bad And That Ain't Good;" "I Got It Bad And That Ain't Good" has an elegant piano arrangement that complements Shirley's vocals flawlessly. Shirley Horn was always a great songbird and just one listen to this proves it! Sarah Vaughan also weighs in with a sublime rendition of "The Man I Love." Sarah sings this with great sensitivity and I am very impressed. The CD also ends very well with Anita O'Day singing "God Bless The Child." "God Bless The Child" makes a strong ending; Anita sings this with a guitar arrangement that can't be any better than this!



Great Ladies Sing The Blues is an excellent album of the blues sung by some of the greatest songbirds ever. I highly recommend this album for fans of those timeless blues songs. You won't be disappointed.

"