Customer Reviews

Cafe Blue (Vinyl)

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Ms. Barber is the beneficary of the return of Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs to the highest-end music recording. And, oh my, did they ever do a superb job! Audiophiles will rejoice at MFSL's superlative sonics. And while this CD is a curious choice for the comeback, it really does work. Probably the dynamic range of this recording had a lot to do with the selection, and surely Ms. Barber delivers a fine performance.

Chances are good you already own this CD. But before you debate shelling out the added do-re-me for the SACD version, please consider:

It's like hearing this CD for the first time. Come to think of it, it's like hearing a CD for the first time.

Like Bird, Miles, Coltrane, Mingus and Monk (to mention a few), some jazzmen simply re-invent and re-direct the art form. (Miles did it multiple times.)
Miss Barber is of that caliber. Her arrangements are scintillating; her voice quality is unique, and the intellectualism and passion she brings to her music are frankly superb. Long may she grace us with her STYLE...

Le meilleur commentaire, c'est que j'avais essayé de le commander l'an passé chez un disquaire l'an passé et l'on m'avait dit qu'il n'était plus disponible, après m'avoir fait attendre pendant deux mois. Chez vous, j'ai pu l'avoir pour un frais supplémentaire d'à peine 3,00$. Bravo Amazone!

Yo its like Sean B. Dady said!

I like this record a lot. The first time I heard it, I was shopping for new speakers for my stereo. The salesman at a high-end audio store played it for me, saying that it is a staple for demonstrating audio gear. Which is to say, it's really nicely produced and has lots of interesting sounds across the sound spectrum. He went on to say that 90% of the people for whom he plays the record go on to buy it. So that is how I came to acquire it.

Patricia Barber is a gifted songwriter, and the lyrics to her songs are clever, witty, and engaging. So you might be wondering "why only four stars?" The reason I withhold the fifth star is that Ms. Barber goes off on a couple of vocal tangents where she completely loses her way. For example, on the second track "Mourning Grace" she sings off key for nearly an entire minute. Frank Sinatra made an entire career out of singing off key, but I hope Ms. Barber does not continue to follow his lead.

I was mistaken when I first heard this CD...it is the one with the Blue Note label. I have a borrowed copy of the original disk on the Premonition label and it has the same sound quality. I will look for the HDCD disk which should have a richer sound. (The above text was changed when I went back a few more times and blindly compared the sound of the two disks...they are identical.

I love the music...Patricia Barber is great and this is an exceptional CD. I am looking forward to getting my hands on the HDCD.

This is my first Patricia Barber CD. I've got to tell you, she's absolutely fabulous! Let me put it to you this way...if you like the blues, then you are going to wish you had this CD...because simply put...it one of the best I've ever heard. Her "Ode to Billy Joe" is marvelous. I've never done a review before, but this CD is so great that I just had to tell you about it.

I have all of her CD's and was privelged to see her in Houston recently. She can't do any wrong in my opinion.

This was my first Patricia Barber album and it will be my last. I listened to it half a dozen times and it never got better. Rather than put it in my jazz collection of 500+ recordings it went straight into the trash can.
First, the woman mumbles the lyrics frequently, consistently it seemed in those passages where she's looking to make an emotional statement. Someone needs to tell her that mumbling does not equal intimacy. In addition to this she has the habit of singing behind the beat. Jimmy Scott can sing behind the beat and it works, Shirly Horn too, but not this woman. Unfortunately this woman's style is anchored on these two major flaws.
She has written six of the albums songs, and without a doubt she is at her vocal worst on all of them. Two of these, "Mourning Grace" and two othrs have major instrumental passages that consist of cymbal bashing in the main. "The Thrill is Gone" is a soggy, muffled dirge. "Ode to Billy Joe" has a few decent moments, but is ruined by her mumble-mumble-mumble too many times. And so it went...like something brought to you from a neighborhood cocktail lounge in suburban Buffalo. The windup on the program is Luiz Bonfa's classic "Manha da Carnaval." The woman simply destroyed this great song - utterly and completely turned it to garbage.

a wondeful voice combine with the instruments make you feel sensible and easy going. I love all songs of this album.