Amazon.com: Dee Dee Bridgewater's Live at Yoshi's is more than just a glorious paean to the art of scat singing by one of its foremost practitioners. Impeccably recorded, Yoshi's is also that rare live recording that captures the excitement and spontaneity of a performance without sacrificing the crystal-clear sound quality that listeners expect from a studio album. The audio is so good it's easy to imagine yourself smack in the middle of the Oakland, California, nightclub for one of these April 1998 shows. And what shows those were. Bridgewater and her topflight quartet--pianist/organist Thierry Eliez, bassist Thomas Bramerie, and drummer Ali Jackson--put on a fireworks display that showcases the group's thrilling interplay and playfulness while giving Bridgewater ample room to demonstrate why she is one of the jazz world's hottest vocalists, especially when it comes to the vocalizations of scat. A commanding presence in any setting, Bridgewater demonstrates her versatility by shifting gears in a heartbeat from the up-tempo scatted bebop of "Cherokee" to beautiful ballads like "Slow Boat to China" and "Stairway to the Stars." What's more, she takes up the greasy funk of James Brown's "Sex Machine" and a long version of Cole Porter's "Love for Sale" that weaves in snippets of Herbie Hancock's funky Headhunters arrangement of "Watermelon Man." You'll be forgiven if, after the set's rousing finale of "Cotton Tail," you stand and applaud along with the crowd at Yoshi's. --Ezra Gale
Another Tribute to Ella By 1998 Dee Dee Bridgewater had already released a Grammy-Award winning tribute to Ella Fitzgerald, "Dear Ella." But she decided to redux some of that great album in this equally great live album, not released until 2000, even though by the concert's point Ella had been dead for two years.
This is a rip-roarin', cookin' set with some very bright moments. Consider her scat duet with bassist Thomas Bramerie on the set-opener, "Undecided." Or consider her spot-on impression of a muted trumpet (complete with "Growl") on "Stairway to the Stars." Or, consider her wild scatting on "What a Little Moonlight Can Do", done at about twice the tempo of the immortal version of Lady Day. Or consider her hilarious orgasmic vocalese on "Love for Sale", as she "spotlights" a club patron named Paul and moans his name in ways never heard at The Mustang Ranch. (You can hear poor, lucky Paul turn about 3 shades of crimson!) All of these make for a 5-star release, just by themselves.
My one critique of Ms. Bridgewater is that here she sings with an extremely bright, forward tone. She sounds like she is singing through her teeth, and the album cover rather verifies that. The tone is just fine for the scat and uptempo numbers. (I smiled at the thought of listening to Ms. Bridgewater jam with Charlie Parker on "Cherokee"; if only that could have happened!) But it doesn't sound right on the c.d.'s one true ballad, "Midnight Sun." On her later-released "J'Ai Deux Amours", Ms. Bridgewater sounds like a more complete singer.
A c.d. worth having, if for no other reason than to listen to how a supremely gifted entertainer works the audience. This is a concert I would have liked to have seen! RC
LIVE - As it should be This album takes you there!
You get the energy, wit, humor and extraordinary talent of the incomperable Dee Dee Bridgewater at her absolute best.
She is already recognized as one of the most important jazz singers. She will undoubtedly be heralded as the most significant vocalist of her genre to come in the past several generations.
Anyone who has ever seen her live will attest that she is unbelievable. You want to jump out of your seat and dance. You howl with laughter - she's an amazing comedian. She can turn around and sing the most sophisticated ballad and then follow it up with an uncanny Armstrong horn impersonation. The musicians are fierce, Dee Dee is on fire and the audience is going wild! It's almost as good as being there.
This is Bridgewater at her amazing, fun, funky, hysterical best.
If you love jazz, you will love this album.
If you don't love jazz, this will open up a whole new world.
She's not your Grandma's jazz singer - she's that and a whole lot more!
A truly LIVE recording This CD captures it all - amazing singing, great solos, spectacular scatting, great ensemble work, and most important, Dee Dee Bridgewater's unbelievable stage presence. On recordings, she is one of today's best singers. On stage, she is a goddess.
This CD really does an excellent job of conveying what it's like to see her live. Listen to track 5, her cover of James Brown's "Sex Machine." The fact that she even does this amidst "jazz" is pretty cool to begin with, but then she goes on with a bit of banter with the audience and then does a joke about doing the song "Ella-style." It's not big, I know, but these little jokes and comments throughout the CD just make it such a gem.
Another favorite aspect of this CD is that she does not act like a diva. She is a consummate musician who realizes that she is working with a tremendously talented trio. Thus, we get to hear every single musician shine and stand out in solos on multiple occasions.
However, this CD is not a chops-fest. While the group absolutely tears up the house on tunes like Cherokee (pianist/organist Thierry Eliez is a god amongst men), they also can lay back and let the music and tears flow on music like "Stairway to the Stars."
Don't expect any avant-garde, boundary-stretching jazz here. Instead, be ready for an amazing singer, supported by an incredible trio, tearing into great music with passion and gusto.
A joy. Dee Dee is great and there is no doubt about that. My first point is to tell you to see this woman live. You will so impressed you will talk about it for days. As for this album? Dee Dee is known as much for her voice as for her stage presence. She is a top notch, extremely intelligent performer. She has sass a wit for days. This is one jazz album that even your friends who are not into jazz will appreciate. Buy Buy Buy.
A joy. Dee Dee is great and there is no doubt about that. My first point is to tell you to see this woman live. You will so impressed you will talk about it for days. As for this album? Dee Dee is know as much for her voice as for her stage presence. She is a top notch, extremely intelligent performer. She has sass a wit for days. This is one jazz album that even your friends who are not into jazz will appreciate. Buy Buy Buy.
Anything Goes Trivia
Trevor
Megaton Man
