ABBEY LINCOLN: It´s magic

ABBEY LINCOLN
Pronto: atendendo ao pedido do nosso querido amigo Kléssius Leão, consegui encontrar o "It´s Magic", um dos melhores álbuns da discografia de AL.
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ABBEY LINCOLN
Anna Marie Wooldridge (August 6, 1930 – August 14, 2010),[1] better known by her stage name Abbey Lincoln, was a jazz vocalist, songwriter, and actress. Lincoln was unusual in that she wrote and performed her own compositions, expanding the expectations of jazz audiences. Born in Chicago, Illinois,] she was one of many singers influenced by Billie Holiday. Lincoln had a very long and productive career and continued to perform until the time of her death. She often could be found at the Blue Note in New York City. Lincoln appeared in the 1956 film The Girl Can't Help It, for which she famously wore a dress worn by Marilyn Monroe in Gentleman
Prefer Blondes and interpreted the theme song, working with Benny Carter. Lincoln died on August 14, 2010 in Manhattan at the age of 80. No cause of death was officially given.
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ALBUM REVIEW
To start, note the difference between this album cover and those of her two previous albums. Rather than being marketed as a sexy woman who happens to have pipes, she is now marketed as a woman with pipes who happens to be sexy. The song selections here
cover the spectrum of relationships, ranging from love unreturned to love Celebrated. "Little Niles" by Randy Weston tells the story of a boy transitioning from childhood to adulthood, performed at a much slower tempo than the rest of the selections. The selection foreshadows a shift away from torch songs and ballads, and is also the standout track on this album. There are even moments where Abbey mimics the sound of trumpet in exchanges with Benny Golson and Art Farmer. This is absolutely essential for the Abbey Lincoln fan.
By Gazzelloni (Cincinnati, OH USA)

*****
Gazzelloni does a pretty definitive job reviewing this album, but it's still hard to put into words what's appealing about Abbey Lincoln. At first blush, she's sort of Billie Holiday-lite, or a less earthy version of Dinah Washington, a bluesy pop singer hanging out with jazzbos. But then Abbey almost seems like a folk singer, albeit with jazz accompaniment. She has this clear enunciation and a way of bringing the characters in her songs to life. In another era, she might have been Joan Baez or Joni Mitchell. She really draws you into the words, the stories of the songs, more than do Billie or Ella or Sarah. But there's more to it still: after a few listens to It's Magic, you realise there are real fine jazz chops here, a real feeling for time and how to emphasise bits of melody. The inestimable
Benny Golson gives her beautiful arrangements, and Kenny Dorham and Philly Joe Jones do stunningly supportive work, but Abbey is in command of this material and really makes even novelty tunes like "Just For Me" into luscious and dramatic performances.
Although Abbey is the antithesis of Anita O'Day -- whose work was *all* about swing and improvisation, never about the lyrics -- Abbey takes her place besides Anita as the female jazz singer whom the canon does the greatest injustice.
By Matthew Watters (Vietnam)
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MINHA OPINIÃO
Os comentários acima trancritos, esgotam o assunto - principalmente pela abordagem do Matthew Watters, acerca do estilo de Abbey. O álbum é jazz puro, na veia, sem concessões - e não poderia ser de outra forma: o "combo" que acompanha AL é um
"dream team", formado por músicos excepcionais. Eu, francamente, acho que Abbey Lane - a despeito de ter sidor uma cantora notável - não está no mesmo patamar de Ella, Sarah, Mc Rae e Holiday: a meu ver, ela se situa um degráu abaixo, o que não
significa demérito nem depreciação do seu grande talento. Afinal, aquelas cantoras estiveram num nível superior a todas as demais, pois foram as "criadoras" que influenciaram, diretamente, a TODAS as "criaturas" que vieram depois, dentre elas a grande Abbey Lincoln. Belíssimo álbum.
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ABBEY LINCOLN: It´s magic

PERSONNEL:
Abbey Lincoln (vocals)
Jerome Richardson or Sahib Shihab (baritone sax, flute)
Curtis Fuller (trombone)
Benny Golson or Art Farmer (trumpet)
Paul Chambers or Sam Jones (bass)
Wynton Kelly (piano)
Philly Joe Jones (drums)

TRACKS/FAIXAS
1. I Am in Love
2. It's Magic
3. Just for Me
4. An Occasional Man
5. Ain't Nobody's Business
6. Out of the Past
7. Music, Maestro, Please!
8. Love
9. Exactly Like You
10. Little Niles