Stacey Kent The Boy Next Door (2 LP)

180g Double LP Remastered by Ray Staff at Air Mastering! A Collection of songs from some of Stacey Kent's musical heroes, from Tony Bennett to Paul Simon! Pressed at Pallas in Germany!
Stacey Kent's unique, distinctive style could best be described as classic chic; the musical equivalent of the "little black dress". Just as the little black dress has the power to let a woman's personality shine through, Ms. Kent's delicately nuanced interpretations of the Great American Songbook eloquently showcase the complex melodies and classy, sophisticated lyrics of American popular music during its golden ages. Vocally, Stacey Kent has never sounded better. And there is so much to admire: her dulcet-toned mezzo soprano, with its shimmery jazz lilt and translucent vibrato, her innate sense of swing and instinctive timing, her subtly shaded line readings, and the exquisite delicacy of her phrasing. A master storyteller and communicator, Stacey also brings a comparative literature graduate's acute interpretive skills to her singing, eschewing shopworn sentimentality for a piquant romantic lyricism. "The Boy Next Door" is a heartfelt and reverent tribute to Kent's musical heroes, which include legendary crooners Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin, octogenarian jazz master Dave Brubeck and Manhattan cabaret doyen Bobby Short. The stylish jazz chanteuse's repertoire also finds her working outside the Great American Songbook for the first time, with contributions from latter-day pop songwriters Burt Bacharach, Paul Simon and Carole King. Ms. Kent puts her own indelible stamp on each number as she weaves her magic on a delectable collection of pop-jazz standards that encompass infatuation, seduction, love, loss and reminiscence. She receives impeccable support from her sleek, urbane jazz quintet, whose rhythmic fluency is further enhanced by the tasteful, literate arrangements. Newton and Tomlinson, both accomplished musicians in their own right, also display hitherto unknown musical talents as they join Curtis Schwartz to provide tongue-in-cheek backing vocals for Stacey's deliciously bouncy rendition of "Ooh-Shoo-Be-Doo-Bee".

Features:

• Limited Edition 180g Vinyl
• Audiophile Remastering
• Pressed at Pallas in Germany
• Double LP
• Gatefold Jacket
• Remastered by Ray Staff at Air Mastering, Lyndhurst Hall, London

Musicians:

• Stacey Kent, vocals
• Jim Tomlinson, saxophones, backing vocals
• Colin Oxley, guitar
• David Newton, piano, keyboards, backing vocals
• Dave Chamberlain, bass
• Matt Home, drums
• Curtis Schwartz, backing vocals

Selections:

Side A
1. The Best Is Yet To Come (Tony Bennett)
2. The Boy Next Door (Frank Sinatra)
3. The Trolley Song (Dave Brubeck)
4. Que reste-T-Il De Nos Amours? (Charles Trent)
Side B
1. Say It Isn't So (Perry Como)
2. Too Darn Hot (Sammy Davis Jr.)
3. Makin' Whoopee (Ray Charles)
4. What The World Needs Now Is Love (Burt Bacharach)
Side C
1. You've Got A Friend (James Taylor)
2. I Got It Bad (Louis Armstrong/Duke Ellington)
3. Ooh-Shoo-Be-Doo-Bee (Dizzy Gillespie/Joe Carroll)
4. People Will Say We're In Love (Gordon MacRae)
Side D
1. 'Tis Autumn (Nat King Cole)
2. All I Do Is Dream of You (Dean Martin)
3. I Get Along Without You Very Well (Chet Baker)
4. You're The Top (Bobby Short)
5. Que Feras-Tu De Ta Vie? (Michel Legrand)
6. Bookends (Paul Simon)

Recorded engineered and mixed by Curtis Schwartz at Curtis Schwartz Studios, Ardingly, England February 18-22 2003

Produced by Jim Tomlinson