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The Art of Blue is exquisite, and by using such an
overused word, I am bound to explain. Exquisite in that traditional blues and jazz
seamlessly blend into a sound uniquely J'ai's. On the sublime, "I Don't Want the
Neighbors to Know" she carefully drips her voice onto the sparse, silky muscular
arrangements, and your ears eagerly lick it up. If that wasn't enough, she has the nerve
to follow it up with "Louisiana Stomp," a down home romp through Cajun country
that'll leave you longing for a nice bowl of gumbo!
In fact, "gumbo" probably would have been a more appropriate album title,
because all the songs make for one mesmerizing treat. She honors the legendary Carmen
McCrae on "Carmen's Blues," explaining that it was McRae who taught her the
value of precise pronunciation. Other notable cuts, many of them J'ai originals, include
the charming "There Was a Time," the heartfelt "Soldiers of Love," and
the raunchy "Hop on the Pony."
End of story, now go, get outta here and buy it!
M
February 2000
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