Search - Nancy Wilson :: Rsvp

Boss Lady

Samuel Chell | Kenosha,, WI United States | 01/04/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"After listening to this latest Nancy Wilson offering a few more times, I'm revising my rating from 4 to 5 stars. Initially I was probably disappointed that on none of the tunes does she body slam me to the floor (I'm still shaking from her incredible performance of "Hello, Like Before" from the late 90s). But with the exceptions of the two vocals she shares with Kenny Lattimore (an androgynous duet that goes nowhere) and Ivan Lins (who sounds like a rank amateur compared to Ms. Wilson), this is no less than a perfect collection by inarguably the world's greatest living jazz singer.



"Day In, Day Out" is the only up-tempo tune on the album and Nancy naturally kicks butt on it. But the control she exhibits on the ballads is no less impressive. No one but she could do justice these days to Gordon Jenkins' "Goodbye." With that uncanny sense of pitch that is hers alone (she must think exclusively in terms of micro-tonality), she requires no more than a phrase to take us from a plaintive lament to a sense of comforting reassurance.



As for "Blame It On My Youth," she's probably the first singer since Sinatra to get the song's tempo (it's usually taken way too slow) along with its sense of self-mocking irony right. And she risks the high note at the end, hanging on despite a trace of waver that would not have been there 5-10 years ago.



While the guests include a number of venerable all-stars--ranging from the comparatively "youthful" Gary Burton to those ageless wonders, George Shearing and Toots Thielemans, Nancy doesn't give them an inch. This is her session, and her supportive musicians, no less than we the listeners, are privileged to be along for the ride.



"

Full circle

Jim Andrews | Chicago, Illinois USA | 09/25/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"My first Nancy album was her first Capitol album "Like in Love." I listened through the years as she evolved from a young, striking artist clearly influenced by Dinah Washington and Billie Holiday (what better influences?) to an experienced, one-of-a-kind artist whose performances grew deeper and wider. Many critics complained she became too mannered (Morgan Ames once wrote in High Fidelity Magazine that Nancy's affectations were gathering like hangers in a closet), too twisty, too far out. I always felt that was a reflection of her own temperament. Here is a lady who chose her material oh so carefully, who was forever pushing the boundaries, who kept evolving and evolving from jazz into soul into r & b into no label turf. She wouldn't stand still, she wouldn't be bored and she wouldn't be classified. Now she has come full circle back to the simple, heartfelt singer she was in the beginning. She cleaned her musical closet! This album is so brilliant, so high level and so overflowing with integrity.. Each song is performed with deep insight and deep feeling and as for Miss Nancy's voice--it's just absolutely gorgeous. So is she

and if you want to hear really great, timeless music which still somehow is very today, make this album part of your life."

MISS WILSON NEVER DISAPPOINTS

G. Davidson | San Francisco, CA | 08/25/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"She's been my favorite singer for years and years -- I've seen dozens of her live shows over the years -- and she's still going strong with RSVP. The wide range of songs shows to distinction her ability to shift moods and tempos, all the while retaining her unique style, casting her own mood. No one else sounds like Miss Wilson, and that's a good and great thing. On this CD, her version of "I Wish I'd Met You" shows her in full bloom, full of experience. "Blame It On My Youth" is a perfect ending. You'll get a grand musical tour from this CD.

On a related note, Miss Wilson's A LADY WITH A SONG, from the early '90s, remains my all-time favorite CD. I've heard it hundreds of times. To this day, it's my standard go-to gift when I want to treat a friend or colleague to something truly special. You can't go wrong with LADY!"