Clifford Brown, Helen Merrill - Helen Merrill & Clifford Brown
List Price:
Our Price: $7.56
You Save: $4.38 (37%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $7.00 (click here)
Category: Music CD
See more new music releases
Buy this Music CD at online store in your country
Canadian Music Store
Canadian Music Store
Music CD Cover
Artist: Clifford Brown, Helen MerrillBrand: MERRILL,HELEN
Edition: Music CD
CD Release Date: 1990-10-25
Music Label: Polygram Records
Soundtracks:
- 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
Free Music Notes for Helen Merrill & Clifford Brown
Free Music Review: Natural, unforced singing of the highest order, by a singer gifted with impeccable taste
Hit: 5 Stars
This is in response to the negative review of Yair Sadeh -
I know his review must be a shock to the Jazz community, but I wanted to tell you my own personal experience with the "Helen Merrill" album. I bought it on 8 May 1995 ( I always write the date of purchase in the liner notes), listened to it once, and never again, for the reasons Yair Sadeh states in his (too brief) review. I was disappointed with this album, because I'd been listening a lot to "Sarah Vaughan With Clifford Brown", or "The Intimate Ella", an exceellent album, or "Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter Songbook" and most other albums by these singers, or Billie Holiday, whom I adore. Compared to these favorite singers, Helen Merrill just left me cold, even though I loved, as always, Clifford Brown's contribution.
HOWEVER, 15 years later I'm rediscovering my Jazz collection, aside from Ella and Billie, and Miles and Coltrane, and suddenly "Helen Merrill With Clifford Brown" rose to the very top and is now one of my very favorite albums of my collection.
I think when I first listened to "Helen Merrill", in 1995, I made the big mistake of playing it in broad, sunny daylight, in my bright painting studio, where I had been enjoying all of the above Jazz singers and players. In comparison, at first glance, Helen Merrill seemed emotionless, watered down, amateurish. I now realize I was VERY WRONG. I misunderstood her.
I think, the album "Helen Merrill" is best played late at night, when the lights are dim, and everything else is quiet, when I'm the only person left awake in the house. That's when this album sounds ideal, intimate, and refreshing. Now I find Helen Merrill's voice lovely, and airy, and she allows any emotion in me, and I enjoy her unique, and unobtrusive personality and faultless taste. This is why I never get tired of listening to her on this album, every night. I find it a most rewarding experience.
Compared to Helen Merrill's album, I now find the (excellent) album "Sarah Vaughan With Clifford Brown" somewhat harder to digest. I still very much enjoy listening to it. Sarah Vaughan has one of the most beautiful, breathtaking voices, but at one point a few years ago, it occurred to me, that Sarah Vaughan sounds kind of vain, and self indulgent, and in some moments her voice goes from kind of playful-innocent and child-like to worldly and alluringly passionate, all within a second. These quicksilver mood changes can get a bit too rich - whereas Ella Fitzgerald always sounds natural, and humble and fresh, and I always welcome Ella's singing in my home, no matter what mood I'm in. Listening to the ravishing voice of Sarah Vaughan is like eating a very rich, expensive dessert. It is paradise, but I can only take so much of it. I understand that she's using her voice like a musical instrument, which, because of the connotations of the lyrics is much harder to manage than the abstract nature of music alone.
In contrast, Helen Merrill's voice is fresh, soothing, like a gentle evening breeze. Helen Merrill here also sometimes sounds child-like and innocent, other times knowing, and sad, and hopeless and disappointed, but she does it all in a way that is totally unforced and natural. It is real life taking place.
I highly recommend "Helen Merrill" with Clifford Brown. The recording quality couldn't be better, very clear and life like. It feels as if she were right in your living room, very close to you, singing for you. And I recommend that if you listen to the album for the first time, maybe do it at night, when it's dark outside, and quiet, and you're receptive to her subtlety.
Despite of what I said, I also highly recommend the excellent "Sarah Vaughan with Clifford Brown" - the second remastering from 2000 sounds fantastic. I think I just heard it so much in the past 17 years, that I find the "Helen Merrill" album a welcome refreshment.
Helen Merrill & Clifford Brown Poster
No Description Available.Genre: Jazz Music
Media Format: Compact Disk
Rating:
Release Date: 2-JUN-1989
Jazz Music CDs
Music Genres
Top music charts in Jazz Music CDs
Curtis Brothers Quartet - Blood, Spirit, Land, Water, FreedomRelease date: 2009-10-01; Music CD
![Jazz Casual - 3-Pack Vol. 1 (Count Basie, Carmen McRae, John Coltrane) [VHS] Image](/images/Jazz-Casual-3-Pack-Vol-1-Count-Basie-Carmen-McRae-John-Coltrane-VHS-6305320578-X.jpg)
Jazz Casuals: Coltrane Basie & Mcrae - Jazz Casual - 3-Pack Vol. 1 (Count Basie, Carmen McRae, John Coltrane) [VHS]Rhino / Wea; Release date: 1999-05-04; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $6.85
Price in other shops:
![Jazz Legend 2 [VHS] Image](/images/Jazz-Legend-2-VHS-6303400787-X.jpg){kind=small}
Buddy Rich - Jazz Legend 2 [VHS]Warner Brothers Pub.; Release date: 2000-10-20; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $11.90
Price in other shops:
![Living Legend of the Electric Guitar [VHS] Image](/images/Living-Legend-of-the-Electric-Guitar-VHS-6302658225-X.jpg){kind=small}
Les Paul - Living Legend of the Electric Guitar [VHS]Bmg Video Label; Release date: 1993-02-09; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $19.95
Price in other shops:
![Hurricane [VHS] Image](/images/Hurricane-VHS-6302251281-X.jpg){kind=small}
Herbie Hancock - Hurricane [VHS]View Video; Release date: 1992-04-07; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $2.50
Cocktails for Twoby band leader Spike Jones, Del Porter, Mel Blanc & Quartet, Jim Cassidy & The City Slickers
Music CD
Best price: $19.95
![Dave Grusin and the NY/LA Dream Band [VHS] Image](/images/Dave-Grusin-and-the-NY-LA-Dream-Band-VHS-6301724496-X.jpg)
Dave Grusin - Dave Grusin and the NY/ LA Dream Band [VHS]Umgd; Release date: 1990-06-26; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $1.99
Price in other shops:
![Diane Schuur & Count Basie Orchestra [VHS] Image](/images/Diane-Schuur-Count-Basie-Orchestra-VHS-630164770X-X.jpg){kind=small}
Count Basie, Diane Schuur - Diane Schuur & Count Basie Orchestra [VHS]Grp Records; Release date: 1996-01-30; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $3.99
Price in other shops:
Damals in HamburgRelease date: 1999-08-11; Music CD
Best price: $22.96
Ben Webster - Ben WebsterRelease date: 2006-12-20; Music CD
Price in other shops:
Top Rated Albums
Antonio Carlos Jobim, Elis Regina - Elis & TomJOBIM,ANTONIO CARLO; Release date: 2008-06-03; Music CD
Best price: $5.21
Price in other shops:
Sonny Rollins - Saxophone Colossus (Reis)ROLLINS,SONNY; Release date: 2006-03-21; Music CD
Best price: $4.73
Price in other shops:
Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers - Art Blakey and the jazz messengers Blue notes 4003BLAKEY,ART; Release date: 1999-03-23; Music CD
Best price: $4.94
Price in other shops:
Sarah Vaughan - Crazy & Mixed UpVAUGHAN,SARAH; Release date: 1991-07-01; Published: 1982; Music CD
Best price: $6.98
Price in other shops:
A Night at Birdland, Vol. 1BLAKEY,ART; Release date: 2001-08-07; Music CD
Best price: $5.34
Price in other shops:
Clifford Brown - Clifford Brown With StringsRelease date: 1998-05-19; Music CD
Best price: $9.73
Price in other shops:
Bill Evans - Complete Village Vanguard Recordings 1961EVANS,BILL; Release date: 2005-09-13; Music CD
Best price: $21.23
Price in other shops:
Charlie Haden Quartet West - Sophisticated LadiesRelease date: 2011-03-22; Music CD
Best price: $8.05
Price in other shops:
Bill Evans Trio - Waltz for DebbyRelease date: 2010-09-28; Music CD
Best price: $4.47
Price in other shops:
Sarah Vaughan - Sarah Vaughan with Clifford BrownRelease date: 2000-02-29; Music CD
Best price: $9.84
Price in other shops: