Chaka Khan - 8

Absolutamente sensacional!!!

Chaka Khan em outra perfomance jazzistica de tirar o folego. Dessa vez acompanhada da Orquestra Sinfônica de Londres.


Nice, Chaka!!!!!!!!!!!!

ClassiKhan, Chaka's latest outing of standards is really like a breath of fresh air. Interestingly enough, the title is rather misleading for diehard Chaka fans would be expecting smooth, funky, grooves, that she is known far and wide for. But her jazz afinity/expertise has always been relegated to the back burner for obviously commercial and unforgivably negative reasons.

Chaka is one of the all-time premiere vocalists and it is terribly unfair to pigeonhole her or any other artist for that matter whose craft transcends cateogrization.

This is a wonderful, jazzy set of standards that true music aficianados will readily appreciate as well as enjoy. There are no surprises here in terms of vocal performance - Chaka can get as smoky, and sensual, and exhilarating as anyone out there and she is more than capably backed up by the London Symphony Orchestra no less. On a very good sound system, this is the bomb! Top-notch production which gives you the feeling of being in a grand concert hall with Chaka blowing you away while you sip luxuriously on your favorite cocktail and enjoy a good cigarette.

The only complaint I have is the choice of selections. Chaka put out a jazz album in the early days with Chick Corea and Ron Carter which is ample evidence that she can indeed carry a jazz standards album with absolutely no problem. Even some of her R&B stylings indicate an enormous range. As a matter of fact, the whole time I listened to this I was reminded when Aretha did the very same thing releasing Soul 69, quite possibly her best Atlantic recording. This was an album of standards as well with Aretha literraly blowing you away with smoky renditions of blues and jazz cuts, but with an earthier selection. Diana Ross did the same when she recorded Lady Sings the Blues which I believe helped her find her true voice.

While Chaka's rendition of Stomy Weather is deep, her reading of To Sir With Love inspired and her interpretation of Teach Me Tonight is quite simply superb, one has to wonder why she felt the urge to include TWO James Bond themes. The CD ends with a beautiful ballad she penned, showcasing again, what we just love about Miss Chaka.

In the final analysis, there are some artists who deserve to be at least noticed no matter what you may think of the product. Moreover, an artist of Chaka's stature is forever adding to their body of work - it is futile to try to put a finger on the "best thing an artist has done" but rather, revel in the next level of the art form.

If you are familiar with jazz standards and appreciate the musicality of this genre, you will be quite pleased..

MARAVILHOSO!!!


Classikhan - 2004

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