Playing It Cool: Lea Delaria: Amazon.ca: Music

1. Sweeney Todd: The Ballad Of Sweeney Todd

2. West Side Story: Cool

3. Little Me: I've Got Your Number

4. City Of Angels: With Every Breath I Take

5. Chicago: All That Jazz

6. Faust: Life Has Been Good To Me

7. The Wild Party: Welcome To My Party

8. The Wild Party: Lowdown-Down

9. Stop The World I Want To Get Off: Once In A Lifetime

10. Follies: Losing My Mind

11. Franks Wild Years: Straight To The Top

Product Description

From Amazon.co.uk

Stand-up comedian, actress and singer Lea DeLaria is an all-round performer. On Play It Cool she presents a less confrontational image than on 1994's Bulldyke in A China Shop, adopting the role of seductive, witty, confident and heterosexual jazz chanteuse to perfection. Her voice ranges from little girl lost innocence to harder edged tones, both suited to the opening "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd". With stylings from Billie Holiday to Judy Garland, "I've Got You're Number" heads straight for the heart of 1950s big-band balladry, improvised scat vocals proving DeLaria can swing with the best. "Cool" is anything but, the accompaniment understated, that voice dripping with the promise of sex. In "With Every Breath I Take" we get to imagine every late night smoky bar in every old Hollywood film we've ever seen and while pastiche, the characterisation is startlingly evocative. DeLaria sums it up with "All That Jazz", confidently suggesting, following her recent twin roles in the lavishly acclaimed 2000 Broadway revival of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, that this girl just wants to have fun playing bad. When she sings "Life Has Been Good To Me" she has such an upbeat twinkle you suspect she means every word. --Gary S Dalkin

Sunday Times - 9 December 2001

Number 1 Jazz CD Of The Year.

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Customer Reviews

18 Reviews

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

Average Customer Review

4.7 out of 5 stars (18 customer reviews)

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Most helpful customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Everyone does it, and seldom as well..., April 9 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Playing It Cool (Audio CD)

All I can say is...WOW.
When my partner and I saw Lea perform her routine in P-town, she wowed us with a stunning version of one of my all-time favorites, "The Ballad of Sweeny Todd." We bought her CD on the spot and it stayed in my car's CD player for weeks on end (and then I only took it out because I had to switch cars).
I enjoyed the whole album, but I found myself playing the first track over and over, and even singing it in the shower. I must disagree with the "Cigar" review on all counts, at least regarding this track. The song lends itself so beautifully to swingin' jazz I can't believe nobody thought of it before. But I'm glad no one has, because Lea DeLaria knocks it out of the park. The smooth delivery is perfect for the dry humor of the lyrics, her belts are such a perfect blend of head and chest it sends chills up my spine, and the arrangement is spot-on. The best part - it stands up beautifully to repeat listenings; I just can't grow tired of this rendition. The opening track alone is worth twice the price of this CD.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Everyone does it, and seldom as well..., April 9 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Playing It Cool (Audio CD)

All I can say is...WOW.
When my partner and I saw Lea perform her routine in P-town, she wowed us with a stunning version of one of my all-time favorites, "The Ballad of Sweeny Todd." We bought her CD on the spot and it stayed in my car's CD player for weeks on end (and then I only took it out because I had to switch cars).
I enjoyed the whole album, but I found myself playing the first track over and over, and even singing it in the shower. I must disagree with the "Cigar" review on all counts, at least regarding this track. The song lends itself so beautifully to swingin' jazz I can't believe nobody thought of it before. But I'm glad no one has, because Lea Dellaria knocks it out of the park. The smooth delivery is perfect for the dry humor of the lyrics, her belts are such a perfect blend of head and chest it sends chills up my spine, and the arrangement is spot-on. The best part - it stands up beautifully to repeat listenings; I just can't grow tired of this rendition. The opening track alone is worth twice the price of this CD.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Oh Yeah, Jan 5 2003

By

Dan Bunch (Pasco, Wa United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Playing It Cool (Audio CD)

...This bull... in a china closet just flat kills.. you like your jazz delivered with power, style, and class.. Lea delivers. You want your jazz to swing? It does that too. My highest rating. It won't leave your cd player anytime soon. Did I mention the musicians helping Lea are just as hot?

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Most recent customer reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Great voice, great music
If you're looking for a modern jazz singer with a lesbian edge, this CD is it!

Published on Aug 10 2002 by janevaningen

5.0 out of 5 stars The girl can sing
The first time I heard Lea sing was on the Rosie Show and she knocked my socks off. I then began to hear her played on WBGO the PBS jazz station in Jersey and ran right out and... Read more

Published on May 30 2002 by S. D. Wright