Track Listing

1. Save Your Love for Me
2. Never Will I Marry
3. Old Country
4. Happy Talk
5. Masquerade Is Over
6. Sleepin' Bee
7. Little Unhappy Boy
8. Teaneck
9. I Can't Get Started
10. One Man's Dream
11. Never Say Yes
12. Unit 7

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #38461 in Music
• Brand: Wilson
• Released on: 1993-02-09
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .19 pounds

Customer Reviews

A Jazz Musician's Choic, Simply, the Best, of the Best
I have been listening to and collecting Nancy Wilson's music ( 50 albums (not CDs) ) for 30 years and I can honestly say that this is the best of the lot. Nancy's style is so musically compliant and smooth that she should be given her own musician's union card and allowed to join any band or orchestra that dares to share, contribute and blend in the making of shear beautiful music. She doesn't just accompany or merely sings along with the Adderely band, nope not Nancy. Rather, she joins, then attend, then blends, automatically and easily blends, and climactically complements the sultry and teasing saxaphone riffs and solos of Nat and Julius Adderley. If you are seeking Listening ( Not dancing ) Pleasure, than you will wants to experience experience this CD, especially Save Your Love For Me, and Sleeping Bee.....Believe me I have listend to at least 50 of her LPs, this one in my opinion is Simply the Best, .... of the Best!!!

5 Stars-yes; Best ever-no
In the June, 2004 issue of Down Beat, Frank-John Hadley interviewed 73 of the best jazz singers in the world, with the idea of compiling the 30 "best" vocal jazz albums of all time. The consensus had this as #1. That's fairly controversial; certain critics wouldn't say that this is even the best Nancy Wilson album, arguing that designation for "Swingin's Mutual" with George Shearing.

So, being an amateur professional jazz singer and professional criminal law hack, what do I know, and who am I to argue with the 73? All I can say is, as Mingus once put it, "I know what I know."

And, to begin with, this is definitely 5 stars. Nancy Wilson's control is outstanding; I've heard opera singers who can hold a note for seemingly ever without losing pitch or focus, but she's the best non-classical singer I've ever heard for that. And, her ability to put power on straight tones in her upper register, without losing focus, is likewise unsurpassed amongst any other jazz singer I've heard.

Likewise, her interplay with the instrumentalists here is tremendous. Whether it is with Zawinul on "Masquerade", Sam Jones on "Sleepin' Bee", Nat Adderley on "Save Your Love for Me", or Cannonball on just about everything, she very definitely is not just "some chick singing with the band." In fact, she sounds like a tremendous trumpet--reminiscent of Miles, whose "Kind of Blue" with Cannonball Adderley was released about the time that these 6 went into the studio.

So why do I disagree with the "All-Time Best" label? Because at times (not always, but at times) Nancy Wilson seems almost emotionally detached from the material she sings. The 73's #2 selection was John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman, and Mr. Hartman is with that material emotionally 100% of the time. In contrast, for example, I think the New York Voices give "Save Your Love for Me" more heart than does Nancy Wilson; ditto viz. Janis Siegel and "The Masquerade Is Over."

Bottom line: I can't disagree with the "All Music Guide to Jazz", 4th ed., when they say "Why any serious jazz collection would be without this classic album is difficult to comprehend." Buy this album for that reason alone. But I'm not prepared to say this is better than the Coltrane/Hartman, or Billie Holiday on Commodore, by any means.

A classic
Nancy Wilson's voice is like silk, and she is the highlight of the CD. "The Masquerade Is Over" is the runaway song on the CD. The instrumental tracks are excellent as well -- the Adderly brothers harmonize well together, and there's a good mixture of swingin' and relaxin' music. You can't go wrong with getting this CD.