Customer Reviews

Tender Trap

5 star:		(37)
4 star:		(0)
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I am now a BIG fan of Stacey Kent, she realy got to me with her soft voice. The arrangement on her albums are very well done. Since I got this album I purchased 4 more, they are all excellent.

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.

... I think these are the two best Stacey Kent works. Stacey Kent has a light voice with that quick vibrato. I put her somewhere between Ella and Blossom Dearie. She has such great musical feel. Her pitch and diction are right on. You can hear every word of the lyric. "Let Yourself Go" is not an easy song, yet she sings it in a relaxed and swinging fashion, just like Nat Cole singing "Route 66," which the intro suggests. On "Tender Trap", I particularly like "Fools Rush In," especially where the melody goes down to the bottom of her range. She nails it right down and that fluttery voice suddenly blooms out like a singer who has done all of her breathing exercises. "Tender Trap" also has the best energy, with a larger number of uptempo tunes ("Comes Love", "Don't Be That Way", "They All Laughed") and more superb, tasteful saxophone playing from Jim Tomlinson. Jim plays such great melodies that complement the tune, and his sound is so beautifully warm, very much like Stan Getz. Colin Oxley is also good on guitar as both a soloist and vocal accompanist. Not easy to do. This is a very fine singer, with a fine band, and they have put some fine music together.

When I was young, caberet singers weren't that hard to find in Manhattan. But times have changed. If you take away Bobby Short, most of the old timers have passed on or stopped performing.

While Stacey Kent lives in England, when I heard this CD it came to mind that she was the ideal performer for the famous Algonquin Hotel's Oak Room on W44th St. I wrote the hotel to give them that suggestion and sent along a cassette of this CD.

They must have liked what they heard, because only a few months later, Stacey played very successful gig there.

She has an unusual timber -- reminds me of one of my favorite singers of the past, Joni Sommers. If you don't know Stacey Kent, this CD is a good way to meet her.

My favorite jazz vocal collection had always been Diana Krall's early 'Stepping Out' which, like some of the best releases of Shirley Horn and Peggy Lee, combined wonderful vocal talent with superb musicianship showcased through a great collection of songs. I would now place Stacey Kent's 'Love is..The Tender Trap' above any of my cherished collection of Krall, Horn, and Lee, or, for that matter, any other jazz vocalist works, from male or female performers. Kent has a great voice; the instrumental work on this release is superb, particularly the piano; and the selection of pieces is first rate. It truly is rare when all 3 components come together; I have maybe six CDs out of a collection of hundreds that qualify. This is one of the six.

The key word in the title of this review is "elegant." My goodness! Although Stacy Kent is unquestionably an outstandingly unique artist, she re?collects and brightens The Great Standards with style rich with reverence. Jim Tomlinson's equally elegant (I was going to say accompanyment) saxaphone artistry duets so inseparably with his spouse's sweet-to-snappy interpretations that we wonder if this duo is/are genetic twins rather than wedded wonders.
Let us hope that this group and this vocalist perform for youngsters currently hooked on pop doggeral, and inspire those kids to appreciate the classic lyrics and melodies that embrace the heartfelt and authentic emotions of *conscious* Lifefulness (as distinct from merely momentarily beat-driven drivel).

Stacey Kent reminds me of several singers who have done these songs but none as much as Billie Holliday. On the very first tune, I thought I was listening to Billie except the technical aspects of the recording sounded too good to be Billie's. (Recording conditions were primitive for many of Billie's recordings and so you have to enjoy her in spite of the conditions.) I thoroughly enjoyed the album and found myself getting into it more and more with each listening. Someone else was comparing her to Diana Krall. I recently gave Krall's album a 5 star rating also. The difference to me is that Stacey Kent actually could fool me into thinking she was Billie Holliday. I would not be fooled by Diana Krall. However, I think Krall is still probably more accessible to an audience who is perhaps not used to the singing of Billie Holliday or Ella Fitzgerald. I can certainly fit both singers into my CD collection! Kent also has more orchestration behind her whereas Krall's was really stripped down to a Minimalist style with the backup musicians. I liked it both ways. Let me put it this way: if you like Sinatra or Baker, buy the Krall. If you like Fitzgerald or Holliday, buy the Kent.

Without reading the liner notes my first impression on listening to the opening track was 'Am I listening to Billie?'

Stacey's no-nonsense style puts her in a class by herself. Her sidemen, particularly pianist David Newton, are individually outstanding.

Keep it up Stacey. I for one am sold.

Roland Correa, Kuwait

Stacey Kent is the find of the last few years and in my opinion surpasses Diana Krall for sheer vocal ability and infectious enthusiasm for her material. Her husband, Jim Tomlinson's tenor lines an irrestible second voice and is integral to Stacey's gorgeous sound. There is not a weak track on the CD and it comes highly recommended. It is only surpassed by her latest CD but you need this one in your collection as well. Join the fanclub!

I picked this CD off the rack two years ago knowing nothing about the artist. It literally blew me away. "I Did'nt Know About You" is simply wonderful! Stacey is the best female jazz vocalist I've heard in years and I've heard them all. Almost as impressive is the work of David Newton on piano. He rips at an amazing pace on the titkle track. Highly recommend this CD for jazz afficionados like me who love beautiful music. Dennis from Provincetown.