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Alternately breathy and atmospheric or bright and dynamic, Helen Merrill often reaches a bit too far on The Nearness of You, though her distinct style and strong personality may be refreshing to vocal fans tired of the standard versions of standards. Leading two separate sextets -- the rather more famous one, with Bill Evans, Bobby Jaspar, Oscar Pettiford, and Jo Jones, appears on only four tracks -- Merrill breezes over a raft of mid-tempo standards, with several detours through high-drama territory. Her powerful voice occasionally gets her into trouble, breaking from breathy to brash and often occupying a rather awkward middle ground. Still, her ebullient tone and playful way with "Bye, Bye Blackbird," "Let Me Love You," and "All of You" is a treat to hear, and flutist Mike Simpson cuts it up behind her as well. Merrill really shines on the darker material, with just a plucked bass to accompany her on "Softly, As in a Morning Sunrise," and a similarly spare accompaniment on a long, drawn-out tribute to "Summertime" and "I See Your Face Before Me."
© John Bush /TiVo
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Mike Simpson, Clarinet, Flute, Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Mort Dixon, Author - Ray Henderson, Composer - John Frigo, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Helen Merrill, MainArtist - Dick Marx, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - David Carroll, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Freddie Rundquist, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Jerry Slosberg, Drums, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1958 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Bill Evans, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Harold Arlen, ComposerLyricist - Ted Koehler, ComposerLyricist - Oscar Pettiford, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Hal Mooney, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Helen Merrill, MainArtist - George Russell, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Bobby Jasper, Flute, AssociatedPerformer - Jo Jones, Drums, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1958 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Mike Simpson, Clarinet, Flute, Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Johnny Mercer, Author - Victor Schertzinger, Composer - John Frigo, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Helen Merrill, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Dick Marx, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - David Carroll, Producer - Freddie Rundquist, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Jerry Slosberg, Drums, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1958 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Mike Simpson, Clarinet, Flute, Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Oscar Hammerstein II , ComposerLyricist - Sigmund Romberg, ComposerLyricist - John Frigo, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Helen Merrill, MainArtist - Dick Marx, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - David Carroll, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Freddie Rundquist, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Jerry Slosberg, Drums, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1958 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Mike Simpson, Clarinet, Flute, Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Jerome Kern, ComposerLyricist - John Frigo, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Helen Merrill, MainArtist - Dick Marx, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - David Carroll, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Freddie Rundquist, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Jerry Slosberg, Drums, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1958 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Mike Simpson, Clarinet, Flute, Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - George Gershwin, Composer - Ira Gershwin, Author - Dorothy Heyward, ComposerLyricist - John Frigo, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Helen Merrill, MainArtist - Dick Marx, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - David Carroll, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Dubose Edwin Heyward, Author - Freddie Rundquist, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Jerry Slosberg, Drums, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1958 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Bill Evans, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Cole Porter, ComposerLyricist - Oscar Pettiford, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Hal Mooney, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Bob Shad, Producer - Helen Merrill, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - George Russell, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Bobby Jasper, Flute, AssociatedPerformer - Jo Jones, Drums, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1958 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Mike Simpson, Clarinet, Flute, Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Howard Dietz, ComposerLyricist - Arthur Schwartz, ComposerLyricist - John Frigo, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Helen Merrill, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Dick Marx, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - David Carroll, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Freddie Rundquist, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Jerry Slosberg, Drums, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1958 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Bart Howard, ComposerLyricist - Bill Evans, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Oscar Pettiford, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Hal Mooney, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Helen Merrill, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - George Russell, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Bobby Jasper, Flute, AssociatedPerformer - Jo Jones, Drums, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1958 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Bill Evans, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Cole Porter, ComposerLyricist - Ned Washington, ComposerLyricist - HOAGY CARMICHAEL, ComposerLyricist - Oscar Pettiford, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Hal Mooney, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Helen Merrill, MainArtist - George Russell, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Bobby Jasper, Flute, AssociatedPerformer - Jo Jones, Drums, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1958 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Mike Simpson, Clarinet, Flute, Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Johnny Mercer, ComposerLyricist - Harold Arlen, ComposerLyricist - John Frigo, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Helen Merrill, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Dick Marx, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - David Carroll, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Freddie Rundquist, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Jerry Slosberg, Drums, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1958 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Bill Evans, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Oscar Pettiford, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Ray Henderson, ComposerLyricist - Lew Brown, ComposerLyricist - Buddy DeSylva, ComposerLyricist - Hal Mooney, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Helen Merrill, Producer, MainArtist - George Russell, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Bobby Jasper, Flute, AssociatedPerformer - Jo Jones, Drums, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1958 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Album review
Alternately breathy and atmospheric or bright and dynamic, Helen Merrill often reaches a bit too far on The Nearness of You, though her distinct style and strong personality may be refreshing to vocal fans tired of the standard versions of standards. Leading two separate sextets -- the rather more famous one, with Bill Evans, Bobby Jaspar, Oscar Pettiford, and Jo Jones, appears on only four tracks -- Merrill breezes over a raft of mid-tempo standards, with several detours through high-drama territory. Her powerful voice occasionally gets her into trouble, breaking from breathy to brash and often occupying a rather awkward middle ground. Still, her ebullient tone and playful way with "Bye, Bye Blackbird," "Let Me Love You," and "All of You" is a treat to hear, and flutist Mike Simpson cuts it up behind her as well. Merrill really shines on the darker material, with just a plucked bass to accompany her on "Softly, As in a Morning Sunrise," and a similarly spare accompaniment on a long, drawn-out tribute to "Summertime" and "I See Your Face Before Me."
© John Bush /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 12 track(s)
- Total length: 00:37:37
- Main artists: Helen Merrill
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Verve Reissues
- Genre: Jazz
© 1958 UMG Recordings, Inc. ℗ 1958 UMG Recordings, Inc.
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