The Nearness of You (Helen Merrill album)

Last updated
The Nearness of You
Helennear.jpg
Studio album by
Released1958
RecordedDecember 18 and 19, 1957 and February 21, 1958
StudioUniversal Recording Studios, Chicago and unnamed studio, New York City
Genre Jazz
Length37:30
Label EmArcy
Helen Merrill chronology
Merrill at Midnight
(1957)
The Nearness of You
(1958)
You've Got a Date with the Blues
(1958)

The Nearness of You is the fifth studio album by Helen Merrill. [1] It includes performances of standards from two sessions with completely different lineups of accompanying musicians. The later session from February 21, 1958, features very notable jazz performers such as pianist Bill Evans and bassist Oscar Pettiford.

Contents

Track listing

  1. "Bye Bye Blackbird" (Mort Dixon, Al Henderson) – 2:57
  2. "When the Sun Comes Out" (Harold Arlen, Ted Koehler) – 4:47
  3. "I Remember You" (Johnny Mercer, Victor Schertzinger) – 2:11
  4. "Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise" (Oscar Hammerstein II, Sigmund Romberg) – 3:19
  5. "Dearly Beloved" (Jerome Kern, Mercer) – 2:07
  6. "Summertime" (George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin, DuBose Heyward) – 3:28
  7. "All of You" (Cole Porter) – 3:33
  8. "I See Your Face Before Me" (Howard Dietz, Arthur Schwartz) – 2:39
  9. "Let Me Love You" (Harlan Howard) – 2:48
  10. "The Nearness of You" (Hoagy Carmichael, Ned Washington) – 4:06
  11. "This Time the Dream's on Me" (Arlen, Mercer) – 2:21
  12. "Just Imagine" (Lew Brown, Buddy DeSylva, Henderson) – 3:21

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [1]
The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [2]

John Bush of AllMusic said that "[a]lternately 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. ... Her powerful voice occasionally gets her into trouble, breaking from breathy to brash and often occupying a rather awkward middle ground." [1] The Bill Evans biographer Peter Pettinger wrote of the session featuring the pianist, "Merrill, enticingly warm, molded the intensity of her tone like a horn, coloring her line with a tastefully controlled vibrato." He also quotes Merrill herself as saying, "Bill was a wonderful accompanist. But is that any wonder since he was so very sensitive and endlessly musical?" [3]

Personnel

Tracks
01, 03, 04, 05, 06, 08, 11:
Tracks
02, 07, 09, 10, 12:

Related Research Articles

<i>Songs by Sinatra</i> 1947 studio album by Frank Sinatra

Songs by Sinatra, Volume 1 is the second studio album by Frank Sinatra. The tracks were arranged and conducted by Axel Stordahl and his orchestra. It is a collection of eight recordings from six different sessions. It was originally released as a set of four 78 rpm records similar to The Voice of Frank Sinatra and re-issued in 1950 as a 10" record.

<i>The Columbia Years 1943–1952: The Complete Recordings</i> 1993 box set by Frank Sinatra

The Columbia Years 1943–1952: The Complete Recordings is a 1993 box set album by the American singer Frank Sinatra.

<i>Heres to the Ladies</i> 1995 studio album by Tony Bennett

Here's to the Ladies is an album by Tony Bennett, released in 1995.

<i>We All Love Ella: Celebrating the First Lady of Song</i> 2007 studio album by Various

We All Love Ella: Celebrating the First Lady of Song is a 2007 tribute album to Ella Fitzgerald produced by Phil Ramone for Verve Records, released to mark the 90th anniversary of her birth. The "all-star" list of featured vocalists is backed for most part by an orchestra led by Rob Mounsey. The album contains the first release of a duet of Ella Fitzgerald and Stevie Wonder, who joined her on stage with her small band at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in 1977.

<i>The Wham of Sam</i> 1961 studio album by Sammy Davis, Jr.

The Wham of Sam is a 1961 studio album by Sammy Davis, Jr., arranged by Marty Paich and Morty Stevens.

<i>Sentimental Journey: The Girl Singer and Her New Big Band</i> 2001 studio album by Rosemary Clooney

Sentimental Journey: The Girl Singer and Her New Big Band is a 2001 album by Rosemary Clooney. This was Clooney's last studio recording. Clooney sings on the album with Big Kahuna and the Copa Cat Pack, a 12-piece swing band led by musician Matt Catingub. Clooney's longtime musical director John Oddo arranged and conducted the music. Clooney and Big Kahuna and the Copa Cat Pack recorded the album following a lengthy performance run at New York's Regency Hotel.

<i>Tony Bennett at Carnegie Hall</i>

Tony Bennett at Carnegie Hall is a 1962 live album by Tony Bennett. After the success of his single "I Left My Heart in San Francisco", he was invited to appear at Carnegie Hall. The June concert was directed by Arthur Penn and Gene Saks. Carnegie Hall had not featured a pop performer until April 23, 1961 when Judy Garland recorded her legendary concert.

<i>Twelve Nights in Hollywood</i> 2009 live album by Ella Fitzgerald

Twelve Nights In Hollywood is a 2009 live album by the American jazz vocalist Ella Fitzgerald, recorded at the Crescendo Club in Hollywood, Los Angeles over ten nights in May 1961, and a subsequent pair of performances in June 1962.

<i>Sinatra: New York</i> 2009 live album by Frank Sinatra

Sinatra: New York is a 2009 box set album of live performances by the American singer Frank Sinatra, recorded in New York City. New York, both at the Carnegie Hall, and at Madison Square Garden. The first disc captures two live performances from 1955 and 1963, disc two and three are from the Carnegie Hall and from Madison Square Garden in 1974. The final two discs are from the 1980s, with disc five a previously unreleased DVD of a June 25, 1980 performance at the Carnegie Hall.

<i>At Last</i> (Lynda Carter album) 2009 studio album by Lynda Carter

At Last is the second studio album by actress and singer Lynda Carter, released on June 9, 2009.

<i>Last Night When We Were Young</i> (album) 1958 studio album by Art Farmer

Last Night When We Were Young is a studio album by trumpeter Art Farmer - with an orchestra of strings arranged and conducted by Quincy Jones. It was recorded in three sessions in 1957 and released the following year on ABC-Paramount.

<i>Johnny Mathis</i> (album) 1956 studio album by Johnny Mathis

Johnny Mathis is the first studio album by vocalist Johnny Mathis that was released by Columbia Records in 1956. The subtitle A New Sound in Popular Song can be found on the back cover but not on the front of the album or the disc label; in fact, this Mathis LP has been referred to as "the jazz album".

<i>Some Enchanted Evening</i> (Art Garfunkel album) 2007 studio album by Art Garfunkel

Some Enchanted Evening is the tenth and most recent solo studio album by Art Garfunkel, released in 2007. It is Garfunkel's interpretation of many standards of the Great American Songbook. It was produced by long-time friend and producer Richard Perry.

<i>Helen Merrill</i> (album) 1955 studio album by Helen Merrill

Helen Merrill is the debut studio album by vocalist Helen Merrill, on which she's accompanied by trumpeter Clifford Brown in arrangements by the young Quincy Jones. Brown had recorded a somewhat similar album with Sarah Vaughan only a few days previously, on December 16 and 18, 1954.

<i>Dream of You</i> (Helen Merrill album) 1957 studio album by Helen Merrill

Dream of You, the third studio album by Helen Merrill, was arranged and conducted by Gil Evans. This recording immediately preceded the first of Evans' famous albums with Miles Davis, Miles Ahead. In 1987, Merrill and Evans reunited to record new versions of the same songs for the album Collaboration. The CD reissue of Dream of You includes additional tracks.

<i>Collaboration</i> (Helen Merrill and Gil Evans album) 1988 studio album by Helen Merrill

Collaboration is a 1987 studio album by Helen Merrill, arranged by Gil Evans. With the almost identical repertoire of recorded songs –though in another order– and following Evans' original scores it is a celebratory re-recording of their previous collaboration from 30 years ago for Merrill's album Dream of You, released in 1957 also on EmArcy. The one exception is the opener, "Summertime" from Porgy and Bess, that Evans recorded with Miles Davis in 1958, it replaces "You're Lucky to Me". Like Dream of YouCollaboration was recorded on three consecutive recording sessions each with a different line-up, one with woodwinds and trombone for most songs, featuring soprano saxophonist Steve Lacy on two tracks, one session with brass and another with a string section and woodwind.

<i>Portrait Edition</i> (Jo Stafford album) 1994 compilation album by Jo Stafford

Portrait Edition is a three disc box set compilation album released by Sony Entertainment and featuring songs recorded by American singer Jo Stafford. The album was released by Sony on August 30, 1994.

<i>Sonny Stitt Plays Arrangements from the Pen of Quincy Jones</i> 1956 studio album by Sonny Stitt

Sonny Stitt Plays Arrangements from the Pen of Quincy Jones is an album by saxophonist Sonny Stitt recorded in 1955 and originally released on the Roost label.

<i>Sinatra: London</i> 2014 box set by Frank Sinatra

Sinatra: London is a 3CD & 1DVD Frank Sinatra box set released on November 25, 2014. It is the third in a series of city-themed box sets following Vegas and New York. The set includes the 1962 album Sinatra Sings Great Songs from Great Britain as recorded in London, as well as unreleased outtake material from those sessions and spoken introductions for each song intended for a BBC radio special. The live material consists of a 1953 session from BBC Radio's The Show Band Show, a full concert recorded in 1984 at the Royal Albert Hall, and two concerts on the DVD, both recorded at the Royal Festival Hall in 1962 and 1970. The liner notes are written by Ken Barnes.

<i>Youve Got a Date with the Blues</i> 1959 studio album by Helen Merrill

You've Got a Date with the Blues is an album by vocalist Helen Merrill, recorded for the MetroJazz label in 1958.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "The Nearness of You". Allmusic . Retrieved April 24, 2011.
  2. Swenson, J., ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. p. 138. ISBN   0-394-72643-X.
  3. Peter Pettinger, Bill Evans: How My Heart Sings, Yale University Press, 1998, p. 47.
  4. "Sleeve and discographies list [George] Russell [the composer and arranger] on guitar, but he [Russell] assures me [Peter Pettinger] that the guitarist [on Helen Merrill's The Nearness of You] was Barry Galbraith, whom he always used in his writing." Pettinger, p. 47.
  5. "Helen Merrill had asked George Russell to do the arrangements, which remained uncredited." Pettinger, p. 47.