About Us · Calendar · CD Reviews · Clubs · DJ Terry Gardner · Home · Late Night Swing · Lessons · Links · YouTube Videos · Rhythm & Swing
Sving du Nord · Contact Us
About Us · Calendar · CD
Reviews · Clubs · DJ
Terry Gardner · Home · Late
Night Swing · Lessons · Links · YouTube
Videos · Rhythm
& Swing
Sving
du Nord · Contact
Us
Live Down Under - Live at the 9:20 Special - I Know How to Do It
Barbara Morrison – I Know How to Do It
1997 Chartmaker Records
The Band:
“By her devotion and tenacity, Barbara Morrison
has developed her vocalizing skills along with hard work, research and reverence for many
of the greats who preceded her such as Bessie Smith, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald,
Dinah Washington, Sarah Vaughn and others… I trust you will enjoy these magnificent
performances.’” ---
Terry Edwards, liner notes.
While this
will not be a dancer favorite in the terms of Live at the 9:20 Special, it does
give the dancer in you perspective and broadens your understanding of what a complete
singer, nay, artist is.
There are a
mixture of rhythms and emotions scattered in this collection from Ms. Morrison. She swings hard on the opening song, Don’t
Let Me Lose This Dream. The other dancer
gem is September in the Rain. The rest
will be ear candy for you as you listen to one of today’s best jazz singers.
Blues
dancers will gravitate towards this CD for gems like I Ain’t Got Nothing but the
Blues, Don’t Touch Me, I Know How to Do It and Don’t Go to
Strangers.
If you are
strictly looking for swing dance music, you may want to download the couple songs
mentioned from iTunes. Otherwise, if you are
looking for a complete musical journey from a powerhouse singer of Barbara Morrison’s
caliber, you’ll want to pick up the whole CD. This
woman is simply amazing.
Bottom Line: To buy or not to buy….. BUY! Here’s how:
The Band:
Barbara Morrison
– Vocals; John R. Burr – Piano; Steve Campos – Trumpet; Danny Caron –
Guitar; Ruth Davies – Bass; John Haynes – Drums; Charles McNeal – Tenor
Saxophone
“Her melodic
voice, with its tow-and-a-half octave range, is known worldwide as is her rich, unique,
soulful, and highly spirited interpretations of both familiar Jazz and Blues classics and
original contemporary songs” – Liner Notes
There is nothing better than buying a CD that Lindy Hoppers have had a hand in producing. This is such a CD.
Kudos to Elliott
Donnelly, Paul Overton, and Jason Christodoulou for being involved in this project. There is not a bad song on this CD. Every song is quite danceable as well as extremely
entertaining. The band is top shelf
throughout and you’ll enjoy solos by all of them.
Barbara Morrison’s
vocals are extremely pleasing to the ear. Her
energy is phenomenal throughout. She creates
excitement with each song and leaves you wanting more.
The song selection was
fantastic. You’ll hear lots of your
favorites, including Stormy Monday, Fever and Don’t Get Around Much
Anymore. Morrison also makes it possible
to enjoy medleys with such gems as Alright, OK You Win/Everyday (I Have the Blues) and
Kansas City/Shake Rattle and Roll.
There are tons more
favorites to be had, too!
I cannot find one thing
bad to say about this. However, some may
find, from a dancer’s standpoint, some tracks on the lengthy side. The Comeback runs 7:39 and there are some
of 6:00 as well. This shouldn’t deter
you from getting this CD for your library. It
just means you need to be sure to grab your favorite dance partner when you hear these
tunes playin’!
I don’t want to
short the musicians on this review. They are
all superb. To point out any particular solos
would only do injustice to what feels like a totally complete musical success.
Jazz fan or Blues fan (or
both!), you want to get this CD. It’s
for you!
Bottom Line: To buy or not to buy….. Buy! Here’s how:
The Band:
Barbara Morrison
– Vocals; John Harkins – Piano; Doug De Vries – Guitar; Frank Di Sario
– Bass; Dave Beck – Drums;
“Her resume
reads like a who’s who of jazz and blues history.” – Liner Notes
After hearing
Barbara’s CD Live at the 9:20 Special (reviewed in SQ, Vol. 13, Issue 2), I
have become a huge fan of hers. Also, getting
to see her live at the Dakota Bar & Grill in April helped to cement her in my mind as
a jazz/blues icon. That is where I picked up
this CD.
Live Down Under
isn’t the exceptional swing dance CD of the previously reviewed Barbara Morrison CD
but there are enough danceable tunes mixed with exceptional jazz and blues standards that
make this a good buy for dancers.
For the purely swing
dance oriented songs, Barbara excels on the opening track with Exactly Like You. This is my favorite song of the CD. Her vocals are so smooth and flowing that you
can’t help but love this song. Additional
“danceable” swing tunes include Doing All Right and Never Make Your
Move Too Soon. A couple other tracks for
those who like to Lindy to slower tunes are Don’t Touch Me and another
highlight of the CD, They Call Me Sundown. A
good R&B tune that’s fun to dance to is Still Called the Blues.
The whole CD is pleasing
to the ear. Morrison works in some standard
jazz and latin along with some nice slow bluesy tunes to fill out the dance numbers. You’ll recognize some of the tunes like Love
for Sale, I’ve Grown Accustomed to His Face and My Funny Valentine.
This is a good CD for
your library. The musicianship is top notch
and Barbara is one of the most pleasing vocalists I’ve ever heard. Not to mention that I was fortunate enough to hear
her sing some of these songs live!
Bottom Line: To buy or not to buy….. Buy! Here’s how:
