Year: 2008
Record Label: Songflower Records
Style: Jazz Vocals
Musicians: Elaine Lucia (vocals), Jonathan Alford (piano), Pierre Archain (bass), Alan Hall (drums), Gerry Grosz (vibes), Randy Vincent (guitar)
Review: A lot of the time, singers will try and imitate the singer whose song they are covering. When it came time for Elaine Lucia to record her version of Nat King Cole’s “Don’t Go,” she did not try and sing like Cole, she sang it to him.
New York born Lucia’s Let’s Live Again shows an expansion of her range and maturity from her last two previous albums.
In her words, this album is a tribute to the vocal LPs that the George Shearing Quintet made in late 1950s and early 1960s with Peggy Lee, Nancy Wilson and Nat King Cole.
Let’s Live Again starts of with Lucia’s version of the Cole classic "Azure Te." What is apparent from this song inwards is Lucia’s very strong vocal talent.
Throughout this album, there is not one example where Lucia over sings any song. "Blue Prelude" is an example of a song that could be over sung in places but Lucia holds back. It is interesting to hear the two versions, the first by Peggy Lee and then Lucia’s back to back as the spirit is still there between the both – just sung by different artists.
Any successful singer needs a backing band that swings and this backing band does. Jonathan Alford on piano, Pierre Archain on bass, Alan Hall on drums, Gerry Grosz on vibes and Randy Vincent on guitar are not just a backing band that stays in the background but come up front and join Lucia on stage without actually upstaging her, especially on “I’d Love To Make Love To You.”
Throughout this album, from Desi Arnaz inspiration to the closing number, "Sayulita", an original by Elaine Lucia, a bossa nova track, Let’s Live Again is could be a sister piece in the library of the Shearing Quintets of the 1950s.
It would be interesting if Lucia and Shearing teamed up. Mr. Shearing, if you read this, take note.
Tracks: Azure Te, The Wildest Gal in Town, All Dressed Up With a Broken Heart, In The Night, Perhaps Perhaps Perhaps, Blue Prelude, I'd Love To Make Love To You, Daddy, Don't Go, I'll Never Fall in Love Again, Let's Live Again, Sayulita.
Record Label Website: http://amiestreet.com/label/songflower-records/
Artist's Website: http://www.elainelucia.com/
Reviewed by:
Brenton Plourde
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