GrooveOut Mini-Reviews

BILLIE HOLIDAY DID SWING BOTH WAYS, AND HER MUSIC ALWAYS SWINGS

Blue Billie

BILLIE HOLIDAY was and is one of the greatest jazz vocalists. This set of 16 songs is a veritable medley of bittersweet melodies. Her voice is as languorous as her phrasing. Few singers in jazz history had the ability to inject as much emotion into a song as Holiday. Recorded during the Depression era, with John Hammond's support, Holiday was accompanied by a range of great jazz musicians, including Teddy Wilson, Buck Clayton, Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman, and, most importantly, tenor saxophonist Lester Young. From Columbia/Legacy. -Andrea Rodricks

A Musical Romance

Nicknamed "Lady Day" by Lester Young, BILLIE HOLIDAY is known for her achingly beautiful vocals. She in turn created the name by which Lester Young was identified in jazz circles-"president" of the tenor saxophone. Together, Young and Holiday would create some of the greatest jazz recordings of all time. This CD spotlights her unconventional talents along with Young's original style. No wonder sax players have copied his style and mentioned him as a primary influence-he was the greatest jazz performer of the Swing Era. From Columbia/Legacy. -AR

Lady Day Swings

This album of songs from 1935 to 1941 comes from the big band and swing era, which some wouldn't necessarily associate with BILLIE HOLIDAY. As the title suggests, the infectious swing tempo moves nicely through the 16 tracks. The lyrics are clear and beautiful, representing a playfully alluring side of Holiday's work. Accompanied by some of the foremost soloists of the day, this compilation spotlights Holiday's lively, charming aspects. From Columbia/Legacy. -AR

MORE MINI-REVIEWS

Casino

Casino is the debut album from ALCAZAR, fronted by openly gay lead singer Andreas Lundstedt (click here for interview with Lundstedt). With the phenomenal success of "Crying at the Discoteque" in Europe and across the world, Alcazar seeks to bring their unique blend of disco and pop to the United States. The club smash was also featured on the soundtrack to Queer as Folk. Their album Casino is an hour-long journey through contemporary dance music styles. Alcazar proves they can handle every style and make something personal out of each one of them. Presenting a variety of issues in their highly original lyrics, Alcazar explores lifestyles and ideas existing on the outskirts of the modern urban landscape. From E-Magine Music. -Troy Carrington

So Much Shouting, So Much Laughter

Strong lyrics held together by an astonishing voice, ANI DiFRANCO has a sound like no other. A feminist and self-proclaimed bisexual, the now-married DiFranco has garnered critical praise as a folksinger with her personal and political lyrics and uncanny sense of melody. (In 1999, she won the OutMusic Award at the Gay/Lesbian American Music Awards.) A gifted songwriter, guitarist, and vocalist, DiFranco is a performer who does not mince words. The new double-disc live album So Much Shouting, So Much Laughter, put out on her own Righteous Babe Records label, offers up two hours of music including three previously unrecorded songs. This is definitely not background music. After the terror attacks on September 11, DiFranco began a poem that she ended up calling "Self Evident." Listening to the audience reaction to this song about the day America fell to its knees, it is obvious she is not alone in her sentiments. From Righteous Babe Records. -AR

The Grand Tour

The Grand Tour is a tuneful and charming musical comedy with music and lyrics by the legendary JERRY HERMAN (see the interview with the openly gay Herman in our May 2002 issue), known for the international smash hit musicals Hello, Dolly!, Mame, and La Cage aux Folles, and featuring Oscar and Tony Award-winning actor Joel Grey, star of Cabaret (the film and the Broadway hit). The show follows the romantic adventures and dramatic challenges of S.L. Jacobowsky and his trek across France during World War II. Fynsworth Alley continues its Broadway Redux reissue series with this original Broadway cast recording on CD for the first time. Available exclusively through their website, fynsworthalley.com. ­-TC

One Morning in May

This new CD by piano jazz icon BARBARA CARROLL is a subtle and sophisticated recording in her trademark progressive, percussive, and lyrical style. Joined by an all-star lineup-Jay Leonhart on bass, Joe Cocuzzo on drums, Ken Peplowski on tenor sax and clarinet, Jay Berliner on guitar, and Randy Sanke on trumpet-Carroll performs classic jazz standards by Gershwin & Gershwin and Rodgers & Hart, as well as rare numbers by Sammy Cahn, Antonio Carlos Jobim, and more. From Fynsworth Alley and After 9 Seconds. -TC

This is Who I Am

HEATHER HEADLEY mixes R&B with soulful harmonies. The smooth grooves of her debut album, This Is Who I Am, launch her as an exceptional artist with a remarkable voice. Headley co-wrote several songs on this album and her talent is evident in her ballads to the upbeat rhythms that draw deeply from her roots in calypso, soka, reggae, and R&B music. Already a Tony Award-winner for the title role in Aida, written by Elton John and Tim Rice, Headley now reveals herself as a talented R&B solo artist. From Fly Life Music. -AR

Sometimes I Dream

Sometimes I Dream introduces the world to the distinctive voice of the Greek tenor MARIO FRANGOULIS, who has been hailed as a promising young opera singer. The intriguing blend of new romantic songs and arrangements on this recording-in Italian, Spanish, Greek, and English-reaches toward a worldwide audience. The songs are bathed in the passionate atmosphere of the Meditteranean world he grew up in. His own emotions are reflected in "Vincerò, perderò," an inspiring new song written for him for this album, about a young man who chooses to embrace life on his terms, win or lose. From Odyssey, an imprint of Sony Classical. -TC

The Very Best of Linda Ronstadt

Few performers have crossed as many genres as successfully as LINDA RONSTADT, and this collection offers 21 chart-toppers that span the singer's many musical incarnations. From earlier hits such as "Different Drum," "Heart Like a Wheel," "You're No Good," "It's So Easy" and "Blue Bayou" to more recent hits such as the James Ingram collaboration "Somewhere Out There" and the Aaron Neville collaboration "Don't Know Much," Ronstadt's vocals still shine brightly. From Rhino. -TC