Search - Dinah Washington :: After Hours With Miss D (Reis) (Dlx)

Dinah's best--she "sells" love.

Samuel Chell | Kenosha,, WI United States | 03/21/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It was easy to overlook and underrate Dinah Washington when, at least in the jazz world, Billie, Ella, Sarah, Carmen and Nancy were getting the plaudits. But hers is a sound as "natural" as Lady Day's, except more extroverted. She was small of stature but tall on talent and strong in body and soul, a determined performer who could be equally effective on ballads and up-tempo swingers. My suspicion is that the numerous "pop" recordings contrasting her essentially raw vocal quality with a surplus of smarmy strings will continue to languish while a session like this--Dinah mixing it up with equally authentic, immediately identifiable voices like Lockjaw Davis and Clark Terry--will continue to serve her memory and reputation best. This is an album likely to please even those jazz fans (and I do know a few) who otherwise stay away from vocals altogether. And if you're among the latter, it should come as no surprise if Dinah's revitalization of these standards doesn't provoke a revaluation about singers. Dinah doesn't have to scat to convince you she's performing on the same level as the "boys in the band." Finally, if there's a vocal performance of Cole Porter's "Love For Sale" that even begins to approach Dinah's reading, I have yet to hear it. Just as Porter's song was banned from radio in the 1920s (a far more permissive time than 1935-1960), I have no doubt that Dinah's sizzling performance of the tune would make it unsuitable for air play in many present-day venues."

Dinah at her best

Anna | 06/22/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A truly fantastic CD. I don't think I'll never get sick of listening to it."