Search - Ann Burton :: New York State of Mind

Less = More: European Vocal Treasure

harzan | Finland | 07/06/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I found Ann Burton's "New York State of Mind" in a used records store in Helsinki, Finland. It took me three visits to the store, weeks apart, before I finally decided to buy the cd. The liner notes were in Japanese, and I wasn't allowed to listen to the damned thing. But I could see the recording was from 1979 and it said "Helen Merrill presents" on the elegant cover. Thanks to those credentials I went for it, and what a great find it ended up being! I had obviously never heard of this Dutch singer, and it took me quite a while to find any information whatsoever (the only website, apparently, is in Dutch). How to describe the extreme minimalism of Burton's singing? One may detect a hint of Helen Merrill here (though Merrill's singing is far more artful, if not artsy); there's more than a dash of Irene Kral (minus the Frishberg repertoire), and indeed the two singers were contemporaries, with Kral born in 1932 and Burton in 1933. Like Kral's, Burton's inflections and phrasings are extremely subtle, the delivery is down-to-earth and understated, yet tinged with world-weary emotion: it's one of those voices that seem, as it were, to have a "history". I can understand why Burton is so loved by Japanese connoisseurs. The cool maturity of the voice is well paired with an impeccable repertoire. As for the Dutch accent, well it's slight enough for her to get away with a very American songbook without sounding the least bit "exotic". Highlights on this cd include a hauntingly beautiful "The Night We Called it a Day", sublime readings of "I Can Dream Can't I" and "Come In from the Rain", and of course the title song, to name just a few treasures on a recording devoid of duds. Even Billie Holiday's 1940 rarity "Tell me More and More and Then Some" is unearthed, and it comes out sounding quite fresh and personal. Definitely recommended then, this Ann Burton, but only if you believe that in jazz less can truly be more."