Search - Rebecca Pidgeon :: Raven

She Could Have Had Nora Jones' Career

Gavin B. | St. Louis MO | 02/08/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Few people realize that the actress Rebecca Pidgeon had been quietly persuing a sucessful singing career prior to her noteriety as an actress. Though she was born in the Boston area, Pidgeon grew up in Scotland and studied acting at the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, which has trained some of the finest classical British stage actors. "The Raven" is Ms. Pidgeon's first and finest solo effort, was recorded in 1994, a few years after she appeared in the Broadway production of hard edged playwright David Mamet's "The Old Neighborhood." She married Mamet and became the frequent leading lady in Mamet's excellent ensemble driven films. Prior to the "The Old Neighborhood", she sang in the group, Ruby Blue. She married Mamet and put her singing career on the back burner. Had it not been for involvement with Mamet, Pidgeon could probably have had Nora Jones' career, because she was performing the same kind of ecclectic mix of jazz, folk and popular standards that has become Nora Jones' signature. Rebecca Pidgeon's vocals have the same grace, verve and well nuanced phrasing as the ubiquitous Ms. Jones. A single listen to her rendition of "Spanish Harlem" will convince even the most skeptical, that Pidgeon has all the makings of a great vocal stylist. The most intriguing part of her vocals is her ability to take her deeply rooted Celtic influences and blend them with the best elements of old school jazz to create her own highly stylized musical signature. The production quality is crystal clear and the arrangements are kept engagingly sparse, so Ms. Pidgeon's enticing voice isn't upstaged by a lot of superfluous overblown arrangements. If you are a fan of Nora Jones or Eva Cassidy, then Rebecca Pidgeon should be on your required music purchase list."

Great from the first listen

Eric B. Larson | Sugar land, TX United States | 12/25/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"One curse of an audiophile is often music purchases are made on a single track or the sonic worth of a particular mastering. As a consequence, I have a stack of CD's that are not that musical.This SACD is recorded with the warmth, detail, depth and spatiousness one would expect from the Chesky label. The wonderful surprise is Rebecca's crystalline voice floating in the phantom center channel with a blend of celtic folk music that truly appeals to me. The open and natural rendition of Spanish Harlem is simply stunning, and I am sure has been used at many hi-end audio shops to sell gear. The double bass is tight, the piano and guitar are not smeared, and the shaker is 7-10 feet back from center stage. Kaleaka, You Got Me and remember me are three songs that are truly enjoyable to listen to simply for the melody and the lyrics. Normally I click through a CD quickly to find songs that are immediately interesting. I found that I listened to the entire disk, skipping to the end of only two songs. Following this, I put the player on repeat for several hours.I realize i am a little late discovering her, and many probably know her more for her films, but she has made an instant fan. I am afraid I cannot compare this to the CD version, as I only bought the SACD.Definitely a worthy addition to any collection."

A beautiful voice and a lovely collection of quiet songs

Jeff Wignall | Stratford, CT USA | 05/20/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"OK, I am a Rebecca Pidgeon addict and I couldn't possibly be more in love with her as an actress. Tragically she met and married David Mamet before she met me. Oh, well. The upside is that she and Mamet have made some wonderful films: State and Main, the Heist, the Spanish Prisoner. All wonderful. So who would guess she was such a talented singer? "The Raven" is a terrific collection of quiet songs sung by a surprisingly talented singer (why am I surprised?). I don't put the album on a lot, it's not that kind of album; but when I do put it on I fall under its soft spell and I'm glad I bought it. This is not an album by one more Hollywood actress fulfilling a fantasy to be a singer--this is a collection of very nicely written and performed songs by someone who could easily have built a solo career in the music business. Maybe Mamet will sit down and write and produce a Rebecca Pidgeon album--wouldn't that be fun! But to be honest, with those beautiful eyes, she could screech like a baboon and I'd still buy her albums. Ahh well, so much for real criticism."