Abbey Sings Abbey

Last updated
Abbey Sings Abbey
Abbey Lincoln Abbey Sings Abbey.jpg
Studio album by
Abbey Lincoln
Released2007
RecordedSeptember 25–27, 2006; November 17, 2006
Studio Avatar Studios, New York City
Genre Jazz
Length59:38
Label Verve
0602498470305
Producer Jean-Philippe Allard, Jay Newland
Abbey Lincoln chronology
It's Me
(2003)		Abbey Sings Abbey
(2007)		 Sophisticated Abbey: Live at the Keystone Korner
(2015)

Abbey Sings Abbey is an album by jazz vocalist Abbey Lincoln. It was recorded during September and November, 2006, at Avatar Studios in New York City; these dates would prove to be Lincoln's final recording sessions prior to her death in 2010. The album, which was released in 2007 by Verve Records, features a rendition of Thelonious Monk's "Blue Monk", with lyrics by Lincoln, followed by eleven original compositions, all of which were previously recorded in different contexts. Lincoln is accompanied by accordion player Gil Goldstein, who also provided the arrangements, guitarist and mandolin player Larry Campbell, cellist Dave Eggar, double bassist Scott Colley, and drummer Shawn Pelton. [1] [2] [3] [4]

Contents

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
All About Jazz Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [5]
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [1]
The Guardian Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [6]

Nate Chinen of The New York Times described Lincoln as "the rare jazz singer who writes her own songs, and the rare jazz songwriter whose music conveys the lessons of her life," and called the album "a study in gravity and wisdom," one that "captures the depth of her art with majestic serenity and bittersweet clarity." [7]

In a review for AllMusic, Matt Collar wrote: "This is a beautifully raw and intimate album full of lament and the faint perfume of romance... These are enigmatic torch songs and playful blues, dark elegies and poignant ballads all featuring Lincoln's own devastatingly precise lyrics and melodies that hint at not just death and regret, but also a lingering passion for life." [1]

The Guardian's John Fordham commented: "The finale 'Being Me' ('Hold the curtain open, it's time to take a bow') suggests a slightly self-conscious rolling of the credits, but the singer's old contention, 'I live through music and it lives through me,' still sounds like the truth." [6]

Suzanne Lorge of All About Jazz called the album "a stunning collection of some of the singer's most memorable works," and stated: "Lincoln is a writer of some depth and the eleven original tunes... offer strong testament to her poetic talents... Her raspy alto with its unhurried bends and shifts probes the nether reaches of the music in the manner of her artistic forebear Billie Holiday, but the album's feel is definitely contemporary." [5]

A writer for No Depression described the album as "a master class in phrasing," and remarked: "Lincoln's voice remains as beguiling and insistent as ever... few singers could even approach Lincoln's tricky vocal counterpoint — words stretched and clipped, yet always lovingly bound to the song's angular contours." [8]

Writing for Jazz Chicago, Brad Walseth noted: "Abbey Sings Abbey is a testament to the singer's lyricism and ability to bring her life experiences to bear in her delivery, wrought by 77 years of life, love and loss... The maturity and perception here is striking and the overall mood is one of melancholy, reconciliation and somewhat bemused acceptance of fate... A culmination of a great career, Abbey Sings Abbey is a singular event and perhaps, Lincoln's best album." [9]

Track listing

"Blue Monk" was composed by Thelonious Monk, with lyrics by Abbey Lincoln. Remaining tracks were composed by Abbey Lincoln.

  1. "Blue Monk" – 5:14
  2. "Throw It Away" – 5:19
  3. "And It's Supposed to Be Love" – 4:47
  4. "Should've Been" – 5:28
  5. "The World is Falling Down" – 3:41
  6. "Bird Alone" – 4:57
  7. "Down Here Below" – 6:33
  8. "The Music is the Magic" – 3:54
  9. "Learning How to Listen" – 4:37
  10. "The Merry Dancer" – 6:30
  11. "Love Has Gone Away" – 4:41
  12. "Being Me" – 3:55

Personnel

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thelonious Monk</span> American jazz pianist and composer (1917–82)

Thelonious Sphere Monk was an American jazz pianist and composer. He had a unique improvisational style and made numerous contributions to the standard jazz repertoire, including "'Round Midnight", "Blue Monk", "Straight, No Chaser", "Ruby, My Dear", "In Walked Bud", and "Well, You Needn't". Monk is the second-most-recorded jazz composer after Duke Ellington.

<i>Now He Sings, Now He Sobs</i> 1968 studio album by Chick Corea

Now He Sings, Now He Sobs is the second studio album by Chick Corea, released in December 1968 on Solid State Records. It features Corea in a trio with bassist Miroslav Vitouš and drummer Roy Haynes. In 1988 it was reissued on CD by Blue Note with eight bonus tracks recorded at the same sessions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abbey Lincoln</span> American singer (1930–2010)

Anna Marie Wooldridge, known professionally as Abbey Lincoln, was an American jazz vocalist. She was a civil rights activist beginning in the 1960s. Lincoln made a career out of delivering deeply felt presentations of standards, as well as writing and singing her own material.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Fearnley</span> Musical artist

James Fearnley is an English musician. He played accordion in the Pogues.

"'Round Midnight" is a 1943 composition by American jazz pianist Thelonious Monk that quickly became a jazz standard and has been recorded by a wide variety of artists. A version recorded by Monk's quintet was added to the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1993. It is one of the most recorded jazz standards composed by a jazz musician.

<i>Carmen Sings Monk</i> 1990 studio album by Carmen McRae

Carmen Sings Monk is a 1990 studio album by the American jazz singer Carmen McRae, focusing exclusively on the songs composed by Thelonious Monk. It was one of the last recordings released in her lifetime. McRae was accompanied by Clifford Jordan on soprano and tenor saxophone, and a rhythm section with pianist Eric Gunnison, bassist George Mraz and Al Foster on drums. Two songs, namely "Get It Straight" and "Suddenly", were recorded earlier that year live at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco with tenor saxophonist Charlie Rouse, who played the longest time with Monk. The rhythm section was almost the same, then with Larry Willis on piano.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gil Goldstein</span> American jazz pianist and accordionist

Gil Goldstein is an American jazz pianist and accordionist. He has won 5 Grammy Awards and he was nominated 8 times.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chano Domínguez</span> Spanish jazz musician

Chano Domínguez is a Spanish Latin jazz, post bop and flamenco pianist. Dominguez has released over 20 albums as a bandleader, and collaborated extensively with other jazz artists including Paquito D’Rivera, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Joe Lovano, Chucho Valdés, Martiro, and Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, He performs his own original compositions, as well as the music of Harold Arlen, Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis, and the Spanish classical composer Joaquín Rodrigo. He was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2012 for his album Flamenco Sketches on the Blue Note label.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ambrose Akinmusire</span> American jazz trumpeter

Ambrose Akinmusire is an American avant-garde jazz composer and trumpeter.

Sara Lazarus is an American jazz singer who lives in France.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scott Colley</span> American jazz double bassist and composer

Scott Colley is an American jazz double bassist and composer. As of 2024, he has been nominated for 4 Grammy Awards, including Best Jazz Instrumental Album for Guided Tour in 2014 and Still Dreaming in 2019. Throughout his career, he has toured, recorded, and played with musicians such as Herbie Hancock, Jim Hall, Carmen McRae, Chris Potter, Julian Lage, Brian Blade, and Pat Metheny.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dave Eggar</span> American cellist, pianist and composer

Dave Eggar is an American cellist, pianist and composer.

<i>Straight Ahead</i> (Abbey Lincoln album) 1961 studio album by Abbey Lincoln

Straight Ahead is an album by American jazz vocalist Abbey Lincoln featuring performances recorded in 1961 for the Candid label.

<i>Abbey Is Blue</i> 1959 studio album by Abbey Lincoln

Abbey Is Blue is the fourth album by American jazz vocalist Abbey Lincoln featuring tracks recorded in 1959 for the Riverside label.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cécile McLorin Salvant</span> American jazz vocalist

Cécile McLorin Salvant is a French-American jazz vocalist. Salvant is one of the most highly regarded jazz vocalists of her generation, often winning DownBeat annual critics polls. She has released seven albums since 2010, six of which have been nominated for Grammy Awards. She is a 3-time winner of the Best Jazz Vocal Album Grammy Award for her 2013 album WomanChild, her 2017 album Dreams and Daggers, and her 2018 album The Window, each released on the Mack Avenue label. Salvant's most recent album is Mélusine, released in 2023 by Nonesuch Records. Salvant primarily sings in English or French, her first language, and has also recorded songs in Occitan and Haitian Kreyòl.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cyrille Aimée</span> French jazz singer

Cyrille Aimée is a French jazz singer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joey Alexander</span> Indonesian jazz pianist (born 2003)

Josiah Alexander Sila, known professionally as Joey Alexander, is an Indonesian jazz pianist. He became the first Indonesian musician to perform on the Grammy Awards as well as to chart on Billboard 200 when his album My Favorite Things debuted at number 174 and then peaked at 59.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ben Williams (musician)</span> Musical artist

Ben Williams is an American jazz bassist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jamison Ross</span> American jazz drummer and vocalist

Jamison Ross is an American jazz drummer and vocalist. He is the winner of the 2012 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Drums Competition. Ross released his debut album Jamison on Concord Jazz on June 23, 2015. His sophomore album, All For One, was released on January 26, 2018.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Collar, Matt. "Abbey Lincoln: Abbey Sings Abbey". AllMusic. Retrieved March 1, 2024.
  2. ↑ "Abbey Lincoln - Abbey Sings Abbey". Jazz Music Archives. Retrieved March 1, 2024.
  3. ↑ "Abbey Lincoln Discography". JazzDiscography.com. February 2, 2023. Retrieved March 1, 2024.
  4. ↑ "Jazz Vocalist Abbey Lincoln Releases New CD, 'Abbey Sings Abbey'". VOA. October 27, 2009. Retrieved March 1, 2024.
  5. 1 2 Lorge, Suzanne (August 10, 2007). "Abbey Lincoln: Abbey Sings Abbey". All About Jazz. Retrieved March 1, 2024.
  6. 1 2 Fordham, John (May 25, 2007). "Abbey Lincoln, Abbey Sings Abbey". The Guardian. Retrieved March 1, 2024.
  7. ↑ Chinen, Nate (May 20, 2007). "Abbey Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation". The New York Times. Retrieved March 1, 2024.
  8. ↑ "Abbey Lincoln – Abbey Sings Abbey". No Depression. November 1, 2007. Retrieved March 1, 2024.
  9. ↑ Walseth, Brad. "Abbey Lincoln: "Abbey Sings Abbey"". Jazz Chicago. Retrieved March 1, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.