Two Old Underrated Pros at Play
Rick Cornell | Reno, Nv USA | 08/30/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"When I heard that Nancy King and Fred Hersch had recorded an album live, at the Jazz Standard in NYC, of piano-voice duets, I rushed out to get my copy. I expected something fantastic. But that can be a problem due to the fact that disappointment can come crashing down more easily when you have such expectations.
I am not disappointed in the least.
This c.d. confirms two major truths: First, with the passing of Ella Fitzgerald and Betty Carter, Nancy King is the finest living scat singer in the world. Like Ms. Carter, Ms. King sounds like an instrument truly searching for the "less obvious" note that nevertheless fits in the chord. Ms. King is also a great story teller. She didn't make me forget Shirley Horn or Mark Murphy, but at times she certainly reminded me of them here.
Second, Fred Hersch truly is one of the finest piano accompanists in the world. What amazes me about him is that he sounds quite different in accompanying Nancy King than he does in accompanying Janis Siegel, and in turn those recordings sound different than how he accompanies Renee Fleming. He basically knows what works for each singer.
Here, consistently throughout he lets Ms. King take the lead in the first chorus, then gradually gets more adventurous as she scats away. Then, when he solos, he plays even more "outside" than he does ordinarily with most singers--because that's how Ms. King sings. By the time he's done, we the audience have been in for quite a ride.
In the contest of most underrated jazz singer in the world (if there is one), Nancy King now is in the lead. Hopefully, someone soon will overtake her--but that will take some doing. Meanwhile, major kudos to Maxjazz: In the last few years, they have put out superlative vocal jazz recordings with Rene Marie, Dena DeRose, Erin Bode, and now this one. More, please. RC"
Nancy does it again
K. Steele | Medford, OR | 03/16/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is one of her better ones and they are all good. A real jazz person's jazz not just pop or standard singer. Her phrasing is wonderful and you can understand all of it. Love it~~"
Nancy King- A Pleasure to Hear
Sylvie Azure | Capitola, CA, USA | 08/15/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Nancy King shows how a vocalist can sing with 'in the pocket' rhythm, deep emotion, and great scatting! She improvises with incredible skill; her phrasing always within the structure of the song and her harmonic ear is flawless. This duo with pianist, Fred Hersch, is like hearing two good friends having a close and meaningful conversation. Their individual styles compliment one another perfectly. It's such a joy to hear Nancy, now on a major label, and grammy-nominated at last! This is a live recording- no overdubbing- and, having personally heard her at several live concerts, I say without reservation that this is Nancy at her best- a true jazz vocalist."
Track Listings (9) - Disc #1