[.ca] Helen Merrill

From Amazon.com:
Merrill's first album also starred trumpeter Clifford Brown on these sessions made 18 months before his June 1956 death. The 24-year-old singer's breathy, extremely musical style is already fully formed here; in fact, at least one of these cuts, "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To," stands as a signature take for her. This disc is a great way to discover the too-often overlooked Merrill. --Rickey Wright

First-class:
This is a pretty astonishing debut for the young Merrill, and though she has recorded many fine albums (including her exceptional recent run for Verve/Gitanes) none quite touches this one. The arrangements are by Quincy Jones--hardly the calibre of Gil Evans, whom she brought in for her next album, but attractive nonetheless. Most importantly, Jones chose a light & spacious instrumentation that placed most of the emphasis on Clifford Brown's trumpet (who is the sole horn except for some discreet baritone & flute from Danny Banks), & he also was willing to grant Merrill the kind of achingly slow ballad tempos that can turn turgid & dull in the wrong hands but which are actually Merrill's forte. Only one track here--the last, "S'Wonderful"--is uptempo, & the rest ranges from medium ("You'd Be So Nice to Come Home to") to slow ("Born to Be Blue") to _really_ slow ("Yesterdays", "Don't Explain"). That sounds like a recipe for tedium (it would be with most singers), & yet the results are fascinating throughout, & sometimes have real raised-goosebumps power. Merrill's distinctive, almost vibratoless style--very breathy, somehow both guileless but smart, & without any distancing displays of virtuosity--is complemented by Clifford Brown's gentle but very precise (almost calligraphic) improvisations. These are some of the best of Brown's solos on record--the kind of thing that makes any aspiriing musician run to their instrument to start trying to lift it. Perhaps surprisingly, Brown's solo work here has the definite edge over his other notable recording with a vocalist, Sarah Vaughan. Fans of this disc will want to search out Merrill's now out of print disc _Brownie_, in which she revisited much of the material from this disc, with an all-star trumpet ensemble playing arrangements of Brown's solos from this disc. It's a very affecting tribute, & is by no means a mere postscript to this disc. It's a pity, though, that while the later disc includes "Born to Be Blue", "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To" & "Don't Explain", it doesn't include a version of "Yesterdays", which includes perhaps my favourite of Brown's features on the original recording (complete with its graceful allusions to "Parker's Mood").

perfection:
Not really a jazzophile at all but Helem Merrill's breathy vocals do it for me in a big way. Basically, the tunes on here are all standard jazz numbers but she breathes (and I mean that in a very very smoky dark room sexy but approachable way) life into all of the songs. The band that backs her up never overwhelms her and are total pros. One of the all-time greatest vocal performances ever.

breathtaking:
I'm so glad I have this record. It's so refreshing to stumble accross a vocalist this unique. Her voice is so soft but strong. The mood of the album is so low key, deep, introspective. I wish more people my age were more willing to search for vocal artists as astonishing and unique as Helen Merrill.

A SUPERB JAZZ SINGING RECORD:
Also available in a collection that adds 8 songs that were in HELEN's third album DREAM OF YOU(try to get that one if you can),this is an essential jazz singing record.I always refered to HELEN as the ever sweet caressing voice.An ideal choice for nightcap listening, which profits from CLIFFORD BROWN's wonderful blowing.When CLIFFORD died at age 26,he was becomming a star trumpetter just like DIZZY and MILES.He had made his mark with SONNY ROLLINS and SARAH VAUGHAN.HELEN MERRILL is a ballader of a superior kind.It's nearly impossible to find better renditions of the first five songs included here.Get that cd fast before AMAZON get out of stock.

"You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To":
If there is a more affecting version of this wonderful Cole Porter song, I haven't heard it. Absolutely mesmerizing. The rest of this album is wonderful, too, but this is the standout song.

• Don't Explain
• You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To
• What's New?
• Falling in Love With Love
• Yesterdays
• Born to Be Blue
• 'S Wonderful