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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
With the passing years the definition "jazz singer" has taken on wider meaning. Purists once maintained that it covered only the vocals of Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday and a handful of others. Nowadays it quite legitimately refers to a host of fine singers whose musicianship allows them to take liberties with the relationship of notes to bar lines and the "bending" of a lyric to fit a paraphrase of the melody as written. Stacey Kent, a young American lady resident in Britain, is a jazz singer and responds to the jazz musicians with whom she works and to the material that she uses. The Tender Trap is made up of a dozen quality songs of the kind that jazz musicians like to play. On eight of them her husband Jim Tomlinson, a tenor saxist of considerable talent, joins her. Stacey Kent is not afraid to tackle difficult songs which started life as instrumentals (Edgar Sampson's "Don't Be That Way" and Duke Ellington's "I Didn't Know About You"). For quiet intimacy there is an outstanding version of "Wee Small Hours" on which she is accompanied only by pianist Dave Newton. An outstanding record of vocal artistry. --Steve Voce
From Amazon.com
Stacy Kent has a voice like the great Dinah Washington's, immediate in its grab of the ear and incisive in its tonal shape. Kent's middle range has a washing quality that pushes the edges forward, even as the edges lilt upward or warble excitedly. Kent and her British band--virtual unknowns prior to this debut--are sure to splash big, with their spare ballad approach (as on Duke Ellington and Bob Russell's "I Didn't Know About You") or their rumbling swing on George Gershwin's "They All Laughed." Pianist David Newton glides across melodies with a light touch but then launches sparkling solos full of funky harmonics--hear "The Tender Trap" for Kent and Newton's mix of charming voice and odd pianism. The band is creative enough to feel at ease reaching into great instrumental passages, giving Kent a first-class platform from which to cue up phrasing that nods to Ella Fitzgerald and a unique, fetching overall style all her own. --Andrew Bartlett
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
59 of 60 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
The Tender Trap was the second Stacey Kent album, released by Candid Records in 1998 following on from the success of Close Your Eyes. There is a glowing introduction from award-winning song writer, Jay Livingston. He was grabbed by her voice when he heard it across a noisy London Restaurant. In my case it was her appearance in the film, Richard III. Since then her popularity has grown in leaps and bounds on both sides of the Atlantic and it's easy to see why from this recording. As more and more people become fans, she is likened to many different singers, but really she is an original. She has a way of taking a song, any song, and putting it across in such a way as to make it seem completely fresh and original, no matter who may have recorded it in the past. In this album, I particularly like Fools Rush In, where Stacey's wonderful voice and phrasing are perfectly complemented by the sympathetic artistry of her (very English) husband Jim Tomlinson on tenor sax. I have always liked Carley Simon's version of In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning, but the more I hear Stacey's version, the better I like it. If your taste is something with more rhythm, then you will love Comes Love, but each and every track brings its own particular delights. I saw Stacey perform live for the first time recently and it was great to see her warm and bubbly personality, but then, as on this recording, the backing of Jim Tomlinson, David Newton on piano and Colin Oxley on guitar were outstanding. These are musician at work, but it is also their pleasure - and ours.
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Stacey is now getting long-overdue recognition in the land of her birth thanks to her 2004 album, The boy next door, but she has been a major name in British jazz circles for a few years now. This is one of the albums that show why. I am amazed to read reviews criticizing Stacey's voice but we are all entitled to our opinions. I think she has a wonderful voice. Any minor technical limitations are more than compensated for in other ways. She likes to put her own distinctive interpretations on each song, so she can adapt the song to suit her voice. Classic songs from the Great American Songbook are Stacey's speciality. This is a very competitive market but Stacey has proved well capable of taking on the competition.
On this album, you can hear Stacey's versions of such classics as the title track (Frank Sinatra), I didn't know about you (Duke Ellington), Comes love (Artie Shaw with Helen Forrest singing), In the still of the night (Tommy Dorsey), Fools rush in (Glenn Miller), East of the sun (Tom Coakley), Zing went the strings of my heart (Judy Garland), They say it's wonderful (Frank Sinatra), Don't be that way (Benny Goodman), They all laughed (Fred Astaire), In the wee small hours of the morning (Frank Sinatra) and It's a wonderful world (Charlie Barnet). If one or two of the original hit-makers seem unfamiliar, a look at the composer credits will reassure you. Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, Jimmy Van Heusen, Sammy Cahn, George and Ira Gershwin - they're all there.
Stacey is, as ever, backed by some of the finest jazz musicians in Britain (and she's married to one of them). Her music may have less crossover appeal than Diana Krall and Norah Jones but it's possible to enjoy the music of all three in their different ways.
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
The title track gets this CD off to a fabulously cheerful start and really makes you smile and want to dance. Sadly for my neighbours it makes me want to sing along (sorry !) but I can listen to this CD over and over again and each song still sounds fresh and new and exciting.
Track 6 is my all time favourite track of Stacey's - East of the Sun. I request this whenever I get the chance to hear Stacey perform live and it never fails to give me goosebumps and puts a smile on my face.
If you have never heard Stacey Kent sing before, then this is a good first album to get.
I LOVE this album !
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Belated review
This review is much belated, as I first became aware of Stacey Kent on the Michael Parkinson show, singing the title track of this CD, on it's release, in front of a big band. Read more
Published on 16 April 2008 by Roderick Keech
Just fantastic sultry jazz singing from the heart
If you love the sweet, strong female sultry jazz voice, then Stacey Kent has it! What more I can say!
Published on 30 May 2000
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