Search - Terence Blanchard :: Billie Holiday Songbook

This is what Beauty "sounds" like

Psboston7 | Upland, CA United States | 01/28/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Prepare yourself to be wrapped in a Smooth, Relaxed CD unhurried at it's best. This was my first acquaintance with Terence Blanchard and I've been hooked ever since. He does Billie Holiday Justice and every time I hear this CD it reminds me of Sundays with Rain outside my window pane or Ballroom dancing with flowing gowns. I hope one enjoys this masterpiece as well as I do."

Wonderful Renditions of Billy's Classics!

gfillmore | New York City | 06/15/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is arguably Blanchard's best work. Smooth, soothing ballads and groovy upbeat renditions make this album fly by. I'm not a big fan of trumpet muting, but he employs it here without being shrill or annoying. The vocals are wonderful too. Jeanie Bryson does Billy's emotion justice while adding her own dash of sultry swing and flair. It's a great performance on all parts. Many of the ballads are reminiscent of "I'm Old Fashioned" by Coltrane and "Blue in Green" by Miles Davis. If that's what you like this has it."

Lush, Romantic, Soulful music.

NDBx | New York, NY United States | 03/08/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Terence Blanchard can do so much, he can so develop a concept to a crystalline purity. This recording is just so elegant and free of excess. Jeannie Bryson is an interesting choice as a vocalist on some of these pieces. Her voice distinct from Billie Holidays, lighter, airier and very intimate. It's as if she's singing just for you. She has excellent control, her voice grabs onto some notes, like Miles did. Finding that note's emotional pitch. She doesn't know what over singing is. She's emotionally direct. She doesn't overstate. If there was someone that you can liken her to, I would say it would be Shirley Horn.



Terence is just amazing in the richness of tone, the attention to melody, the plaintiveness, the sheer emotion in his playing on the ballads. His sensitivity in accompaniment. He swings in the best sense of the tradition on the faster pieces.



The orchestra arrangements effectively support, conveys a sense of romance without ever being syrupy. The textures are rich. There is a wonderful use of space. It's refreshing in this age of over engineered, dense, over amplified recordings.



This is a very well done recording that now, years later, plays just as well as when it was released. Emotionally direct, true to the artist it plays tribute to without actually mimicking any of the original recordings.



Terence Blanchard is one of the truly underrated, complete arranger/composer/instrumentalist/conceptualists.



"