Album Details: Dee Dee Describes this Weil Project. 'the Songs Come from Musicals and Operettas. They Are Narratives. This Music Appeals to My Theatrical Side Because it Lends Itself to Dramatization in Performance. I Find Kurt Weill to Be Eclectic, Much Like Myself. I also Wanted to Explore Someone Beyond the Jazz Realm. With this Album, I Am Trying to Make the Music More Accessible. The Rhythmic Tone of the Album Stems from My Fascination with World Music - a Milieu Toward which I Am Moving. Kurt Weill's Music is Often Considered Dark and Brooding. I Hope to Show a Lighter and More Humorous Side. It is Romantic and Moving. As Kurt Weill Said, 'there is Only Good Music and Bad Music.'
Amazon.com: This 12-song homage to German composer Kurt Weill exceeds even the excellence of Bridgewater's classic vocal tributes to Horace Silver and Ella Fitzgerald. The main reason is that Weill wrote for theater, and beyond being a singer, Bridgewater is a Tony Award-winning actress, an announcer, and a noted humorist, all talents used to great effect here. Weill's best-known tragicomic character, Macheath, or "Mack the Knife," appears on the hidden track here, but Bridgewater also introduces others in "The Saga of Jenny" and "Bilbao Song." Only an accomplished stage actress, who also happens to be a great jazz singer, could suspend disbelief as she does in these absolutely enthralling tales of violence, sex, and greed. Many of Weill's songs are jazz standards, and Bridgewater puts definitive stamps on three of them--"Speak Low," an organ powered "This Is New," and an exquisite ballad reading of "My Ship." Bridgewater also broadens her sonic palette, as, for the first time for her, the guitar is prominent in many of the superb arrangements she uses. Sprinkled in also is a bit of world music, particularly Brazilian samba. --Mark Ruffin
In Great Vocals Love the music, and the vocals. Not a real big fan, but this is one of her better CD's. It has a latin twist, with great vocals. I enjoy this CD from the start to finish.
Kurt Weill is dancing in his grave! Dee Dee Bridgewater is one of the most creative vocalists of our time. I love all of her work (her Horace Silver tribute is a favorite) though, being a huge fan of Weill, I have to bump THIS IS NEW to the front of the line. Dee Dee really does something new here. As another reviewer states, she "messes" with Weill, with gorgeous, moving, thrilling results. If I had to pick a "low-point", it would be the charming "September Song", one of my all-time favorites (I own many beautiful interpretations). Again, Dee Dee's is truly original, and though not my favorite interpretation (that's the "low-point"), is nonetheless lovely. There is so much more to embrace here. And don't miss the hidden final track -- something like 8 minutes after the end of the listed final track -- a truly spontaneous Dee Dee cracking up on "Mack the Knife". Unfortunately, many artists (likely attempting to emulate Ella) have feigned "out-take" versions of "Mack" and other classics, but one can tell that Dee Dee is truly self-intoxicated on this track (and rightly so). I suppose some Weill "purists" may think this effort too light-hearted in spots, but who cares? Laughter in dark places is the very essence of humor -- especially Weill's humor.
Nobody has covered Weill better. This IS new! Dee Dee Bridgewater has made the quintessential Kurt Weill cover album. From the glorious "Youkali" to the imaginative "My Ship" and "Lost In The Stars"...Bridgewater transcends the acts of merely covering a song, and actually inhabits every single one of these Weill masterpieces as if she were a different character in each.
It's like watching an actor give a performance, even when you are just listening to the CD!
I had the good fortune of seeing Miss Bridgewater perform live at the Kennedy Center in early 2004, and she performed some of the songs from this CD, and was gracious enough to autograph my copy after the show, and I will never forget her amazing delivery, her showwomanship, her humor and her stunning versatility.
She is a gem, and this CD is just a small sample of what she has to offer.
When she signed my CD, Miss Bridgewater mentioned that her next project would be a "Latin album", as she called it.
Here's hoping she does to Bossa Nova, Brazilian Samba and the Tango what she did with Weill...make it NEW indeed!
This is amazing This CD is one of the best things to happen to Kurt Weill's music since....well....he wrote them originally.
Ms Bridgewater does something with these tunes that most people are far too scared to try - she messes with them...and with amazing results.
Bilbao Song is perhaps the best example, in which she creates lush contrasts in latin styles...and makes amazing use of nylon-string guitars. However, she also delivers a heavenly performance of My Ship, as well.
Occasionally, the arrangements dip dangerously into pop-jazz, but never for too long. Even when this happens, he incredible voice and delivery (theatre training pays off) combined with unbelievable soloists offsets any problems there.
This is one of the best albums of the past year - a must buy. Also, don't hit stop after track 11 - there's a secret track of Mack the Knife that's well worth the listen!
Should Win Her Second Grammy Weill songs require not just a singer but an actress and Dee Dee can do both. She gives new life to standards like "Speak Low" and "This is New". I love the flamenco guitar on "Bilbao Song" and the bandeleon on "Youkali". This is obviously a labor of love between the singer and her musicians. "I'm A Stranger Here Myself" and "Alabama Song" show Dee Dee and the musicians at their improvisational best. A winner all the way.
Anything Goes Trivia
Megaton Man
Tailipoe
Trevor
