Recorded March 15th – 17th 1955. This release 1992 on Emarcy.
review[-]by Rovi
Dinah Washington cut a lot of sides in two decades of recording. However, her straight jazz sessions were few and far between because of the mass popular and commercial appeal that she had as a pop singer. Still, the versatile Dinah thrived in just about any setting and the one provided here in 1955 by the gifted Chicago producer Bob Shad showcases her intimate side to perfection.
Since Dinah Washington just about invented gospel-based soulful singing, it’s thrilling to hear her at the peak of her powers backed by a small group that includes trumpeter Clark Terry and pianist Wynton Kelly. The session is also graced by Quincy Jones’ tidy arrangements. With such expert support, the singer’s powerful phrasing, precise diction, and pitch-perfect intonation draw as much emotion and meaning possible out of her chosen material, including Billie-associated tunes like “Easy Living” and “My Old Flame.” Dinah Washington was first and foremost a musician–not a showboat. And part of her genius was that she could make her formidable presence actually underscore her own vulnerability, as in the lilting “Blue Gardenia” and blues-tinged “You Don’t Know What Love Is.”
Dinah Washington with:
Clark Terry – Trumpet
Paul Quinichette – Tenor
Jimmy Cleveland – Trombone
Cecil Payne – Baritone
Wynton Kelly – Piano
Barry Galbraith – Guitar
Keeter Betts – Bass
Jimmy Cobb – Drums
Quincy Jones – Arranger
01. I Get A Kick Out Of You
02. Blue Gardenia
03. Easy Living
04. You Don’t Know What Love Is
05. This Can’t Be Love
06. My Old Flame
07. I Could Write A Book
08. Make The Man Love Me
09. Ask A Woman Who Knows
10. If I Had You