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Posts Tagged Vocal

Archive

March 1, 2021 by Simon Sweetman

Diane Schuur: Running On Faith

Diane Schuur Running on Faith Jazzheads Diane Schuur, blind since birth, is one hell of a singer – and pianist. But here, on a gospel referencing collection, her first in six years, it’s very much about the other direction – the one above, nothing at all to do with down below. I’m pleased to hear […]
Posted in Blog, Reviews · Tagged "Singer", Album Review, blind, Diane Schuur, Diane Schuur: Running On Faith, Ernie Watts, Gospel, Jazz, Piano, Running On Faith, Vocal, You can support Off The Tracks via PressPatron ·

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June 2, 2020 by Simon Sweetman

The Vinyl Countdown # 115

The Shirelles, The Single Collection (2015) I don’t know where or when I first heard The Shirelles – one of the bands you find out about after you hear the songs; you just sort of know them forever without ever really knowing about them…or maybe it’s the other way even, you know about them without […]
Posted in Blog, The Vinyl Countdown · Tagged 1960s, 2015, Baby It's You, Collection, Compilation, Girl Group, LP, R'n'B, Record, Shirelles, Singles, The Shirelles, The Singles Collection, The Vinyl Countdown, The Vinyl Countdown # 115, Vinyl, Vocal ·

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March 12, 2020 by Simon Sweetman

Ella Fitzgerald: The Complete Piano Duets

Ella Fitzgerald The Complete Piano Duets Verve Where do you start with Ella Fitzgerald? There are hundreds of albums – including dozens of very good compilations. You could start with her duets with Louis Armstrong – sure. Many people do. And fair enough. There are her songbook albums – where she showcases the work of […]
Posted in Blog, Reviews · Tagged 2CD, Album Review, Ella Fitzgerald, Ella Fitzgerald Sings Songs From “Let No Man Write My Epitaph”, Ella Fitzgerald: The Complete Piano Duets, Ella Sings Gershwin, Ellis Larkins, Let No Man Write My Epitap”, Paul Smith, Piano, Piano Duets, Reissue, songbook, Songs In A Mellow Mood (, Standards, The Complete Piano Duets, Verve, Vocal, You can support Off The Tracks via PressPatron ·

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June 11, 2018 by Simon Sweetman

The Vinyl Countdown # 400

Bobby McFerrin, Spontaneous Inventions (1986) I’ve loved Bobby McFerrin and I’ve hated him too – and just recently I’ve decided the guy might be a genius. Yes, it’s hard to give his career an appraisal that’s fair because Don’t Worry Be Happy gets in the way. But I was taken with this album – and […]
Posted in Blog, The Vinyl Countdown · Tagged 1986, 80s, a capella, Bobby McFerri, Bobby McFerrin, Herbie Hancock, Jazz, Live, LP, Manhattan Transfer, Record, Robin Williams, Spontaneous Inventions, The Vinyl Countdown # 400, Thinkin' About Your Body, Vinyl, Vocal, Vocalist, Vocals ·

Archive

May 24, 2018 by Simon Sweetman

The Vinyl Countdown # 404

Luis Alberto Del Parana y su Trio Los Paraguayos, Famous Latin American Songs (1960) I’ll always have a look in a charity store or the tip shop or if passing a garage sale; I can count on one hand the number of ‘good scores’ I’ve had digging in the bins. But I’m a sucker for […]
Posted in Blog, The Vinyl Countdown · Tagged $1, 1960, Charity, Famous Latin American Songs, Guitar, Latin, LP, Luis Alberto Del Parana, Luis Alberto Del Parana y su Trio Los Paraguayos, Paraguay, Second-Hand, The Vinyl Countdown, Trio Los Paraguayos, Vinyl, Vocal, You can support Off The Tracks via PressPatron ·

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October 25, 2017 by Simon Sweetman

Cave Circles: Apricity (ep)

Cave Circles Apricity (ep) Wonderful Noise Japan Here’s Riki Gooch working (again) under his Cave Circle alias – it’s been a busy time for releases just recently with Cave Circles’ 12”, My Heart Is A Beating Drum and then the recent cassette tape release under another of his working aliases, DJ OBOE.
Posted in Blog, Reviews · Tagged Album Review, Apricity, Apricity (ep), Beatmaker, Black Rainbow, Cave Circles, Cave Circles: Apricity, Dilla, DJ OBOE, EP, Garden, Housekeeping, Instrumental, Instrumentalist, Instrumentals, John Carpenter, Kiva, Leila Adu, Mirrors, My Heart Is A Beating Drum, Parks, Producer, Riki Gooch, Rocks, Seven Davis Jr, Vocal, Waves, Wonderful Noise Japan ·

Archive

June 12, 2017 by Simon Sweetman

The Vinyl Countdown # 546

Frank Sinatra, She Shot Me Down (1981) The world-weariness of that voice. The stoicism-within-the-teariness of that voice. My mum put me onto Frank Sinatra I guess. I dunno, he’s just always been there. But it must have been my mum that first introduced us, in whatever sense. I know she’s a fan. Probably some budget […]
Posted in Blog, The Vinyl Countdown · Tagged 1981, Frank, Frank Sinatra, Good Thing Going (Going Gone), Jazz, LP, Record, Reissue, She Shot Me Down, Sinatra, The Vinyl Countdown # 546, Vinyl, Vocal ·

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November 12, 2016 by Simon Sweetman

On: Billie Holiday’s Voice

I was re-reading These Lives I Have Buried by Lindsay Rabbitt the other day, an excellent short book, an essay from the Four Winds Press series. And in and around stories of struggle and loss, heartache, pain, grit and soul there was a mention of Billie Holiday. An all but parenthetical mention – but I […]
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged "Singer", Billie Holiday, Billie Holiday's Voice, Essay, Jaz, Jazz, Lady Day, Lindsay Rabbit, On: Billie Holiday's Voice, Pain, Singing, Strange Fruit, These Lives I Have Buried, Vocal, Vocalist ·

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April 13, 2016 by Simon Sweetman

José James: Yesterday I Had The Blues – The Music of Billie Holiday

José James Yesterday I Had The Blues: The Music of Billie Holiday Blue Note Of all the “100 Year” celebrations to honour Billie Holiday this felt the most necessary – a brave new voice taking on that wonderful music. Because, at the time, Billie Holiday was exactly that: a brave new voice taking on that […]
Posted in Blog, Reviews · Tagged Al Jarreau, Album Review, Billie Holiday, Body and Soul, Eric Harland, Everybody Loves The Sunshine, Fine and Mellow, God Bless The Child, I Thought About You, Jason Moran, Jazz, John Patitucci, José James, José James Yesterday I Had The Blues: The Music of Billie Holiday, Lover Man, Rising Son, Roy Ayers, Standards, Strange Fruit, Takayu Kuroda, Tenderly, The Music of Billie Holiday, Vocal, Vocals, Yesterday I Had The Blues, Yesterday I Had The Blues - The Music of Billie Holiday ·

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March 15, 2016 by Simon Sweetman

Kurt Elling: Passion World

Kurt Elling Passion World Concord Jazz It’s very easy to be a Kurt Elling fan – that voice is so soothing and yet, even as he strays towards the more easy-listening end (as is the case here, with his latest) there’s still some impeccable playing, thoughtful musicians and, if not risks, then it’s tasteful and […]
Posted in Blog, Reviews · Tagged Album Review, Jazz, Kurt Elling, Passion World, Vocal ·

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October 9, 2015 by Simon Sweetman

Stubs: #153 – Young @ Heart Chorus, Wellington, 2010

I had enjoyed the documentary film, Young @ Heart – when I had written about it I had been mocked somewhat for not being cynical towards it, maybe it was the time/place when I saw it, but I liked it; it was sweet. And then the chance to speak with the group’s musical director Bob […]
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged 2010, Bob Cilman, Documentary, Dominion Post, Film, Gig Review, Live, Live Gig, MFC, Old Age, Retirement, Stub, Stubs, Stubs: #153 – Young @ Heart Chorus, Vocal, Vocal Group, Wellington, Young @ Heart, Young @ Heart Chorus, Young at Heart ·

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June 25, 2014 by Simon Sweetman

The Vinyl Countdown # 1093

Bobby McFerrin, The Voice (1984) I keep thinking about that line from This Is Spinal Tap – “it’s a fine line between stupid and clever” – whenever I think of Bobby McFerrin’s music. Most remember him as the one-hit-wonder of Don’t Worry Be Happy but I saw this video performance of him – a concert […]
Posted in Blog, The Vinyl Countdown · Tagged 1984, a capella, Blackbird, Bobby McFerrin, Don't Worry Be Happy, I Feel Good, James Brown, Jazz, LP, Mozart, The Beatles, The Voice, Vinyl, Vocal ·
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