Search - Charmaine Clamor :: Flippin' Out

A Vocalist Who Creates Her Own Category

Bran | USA | 08/29/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Politically incorrect as this sounds, the first time I heard Charmaine Clamor's voice on my local radio station, I made some (inaccurate) assumptions about her ethnic background. She has so much soul in her voice that I was picturing something very different from the beautiful lady on this CD! Finding out she is in fact Filipino blows my mind. I am Asian myself, so I feel qualified to say I have never heard an Asian woman sing with this strong of a connection to American blues and soul and swing. Charmaine really reminds me of Sarah Vaughan and Cassandra Wilson -- but she has something original about her, too: her Filipino heritage, which she explores with great pride on "Flippin' Out."



For me the heart of this CD is Charmaine's "Filipino Suite," where she sings in her native language of Tagalog. The word that keeps coming back to me is "haunting." Even if you don't understand her language, I predict she will give you goosebumps. The sincerity of her expression is that powerful. Her take on "My Funny Valentine," which she has rewritten as "My Funny Brown Pinay" is probably the most original and personal version of the song I've ever heard. It's a statement!



The band on this record swings like crazy. They should! Many of them play with the great Tierney Sutton, who, like Charmaine, has a very strong and personal point of view, a great jazz originality. The difference is Charmaine has so much soul...I just can't get over it.



"Flippin' Out" is one of the best recordings of the year, in my opinion. It's a journey with a real emotional arc. When you finish -- with the great Mario Lanza song "Be My Love" done as a whispery ballad -- it makes you want to start all over again.



Not sure what category Charmaine belongs in: jazz? world? blues? pop? folk? Maybe the highest compliment is that with this CD she's creating her very own category.

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Charmed

DGH | Wisconsin | 11/30/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Early in the morning of Sunday, November 11, Charmaine Clamor stopped me dead in my tracks. I had listened to "Weekend Edition" on NPR on my way to my neighborhood coffee shop. Will Shortz's puzzle had ended as I pulled into a parking space, and as I was about to turn off the radio, I heard Charmaine Clamor's voice. I didn't much move for the next ten minutes.



The best review I can write about this remarkable jazz singer is to direct you to the NPR online archive. Listen to Liane Hansen's interview. Listen to the samples of Charmaine's "jazzipino" music, to her low, strong, beautiful swing. Listen to Charmaine's remarkable story, hear the emotion that comes through when she speaks almost as much as it does when she she sings. Then just try not to buy this CD.

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Charmaine Clamor--she got it all

Anders Jonasson | Bankeryd Sweden | 09/28/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Firstly I have to say that I completely agree with all the other reviwers..Charmaine she got it. I also have to admitt thatthis is kind of non objective review since I know Charmaine a little bit.

Anyway..it is for sure overwhelmiong to hear her sing with this compassion soul and yeah..groove feeling, a good example of this is of course Nina Simones tune "Sugar in My Bowl" which Charmaine does with a tremendous feeling for groove & soul,,and all this spiced up with that humoristic touch that you can hear in several of her songs,

Like the other reviewers I am also very fond of " My Funny Brown Pinay" (My funny Valentine) taken a bit more funky than usual and this version is really appealing.



When I listen I have the feeling that singingperforming those songs is just a natutal thing for Charmaine,,,everything is so obvious....piece of cake

The musicians that are backing Charmaine is all great players..as a jazzguitarist myself I really like the playing by guitarist Rickard Ickard



Finally I hope that Charmaine gets the recognition that she so well deserve..but a talent like her can not hide for long.



Anders Jonasson Sept 28 2007

Jazzguitarist/Sweden www.myspace.com/groovelick

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