Notes & Personnel Info |  | Personnel: Nancy Wilson (vocals); Ivan Lins, Kenny Lattimore (vocals); Joe Negri (guitar); Toots Thielemans (harmonica); Paquito d'Rivera (clarinet); Phil Woods (alto saxophone); Andy Snitzer (tenor saxophone); Bill Watrous (trombone); George Shearing (piano); Gary Burton (vibraphone); Rufus Reid (bass guitar). | | Nancy Wilson's R.S.V.P. (Rare Songs, Very Personal) is her duets album, but unlike other recent releases by singers in this format, which feature two vocalists (and often oddly matched ones, at that), most of the pairings here are with instrumentalists like George Shearing, Toots Thielemans, Phil Woods, and Gary Burton, which means this remains very much Wilson's baby, dominated by her hushed and elegant vocals. Only two tracks feature other vocalists, one of which, a saccharine cover of Marvin Gaye's "Why Did I Choose You" sung with Kenny Lattimore, is worth a plea to the gods to let Gaye return to this veil of tears and give Wilson a worthy singing partner. Less pop than her recent outings, R.S.V.P. is mostly made up of ballads, highlighted by a wonderful version of Gordon Jenkins' "Goodbye" and the elegant, late-night regret of "Blame It on My Youth" which closes out the set, although Wilson steps up and swings on at least one track, the vibrant "Day In, Day Out." This might not be the greatest album of her half-century-long career, but it isn't an embarrassment, either (which can't always be said about some of the other duet projects major vocalists have released in recent years), and it shows that Wilson can still wring every last emotion on earth out of a ballad -- then return to sing the second verse. ~ Steve Leggett | | Even given her dalliances with R&B and pop material during her long career, Nancy Wilson is unquestionably one of the legends of vocal jazz. R.S.V.P. (which here stands for "Rare Songs, Very Personal") finds Wilson coming home to roost with 12 songs that showcase her superb vocal stylings in the mode of classic swing and jazz balladry. For 2004's R.S.V.P., Wilson selected tunes she'd never had the opportunity to record in her 50 years in the business. One would never guess from these performances, however--Wilson sings these songs as though they were born in her throat. | | The sultry "An Older Man Is Like an Elegant Wine," for example, shows that she has lost none of her sumptuous, ballad-perfect timbre, but the bop-inflected ease of her phrases on "Day In, Day Out" remind us that her up-tempo exuberance is still jumping, too. A string of all-star guests--George Shearing, Toots Thielemans, Phil Woods, and Gary Burton, among others--make the collection sparkle even brighter, and her duets with R&B stars Kenny Lattimore and Ivan Lins may win converts from a younger generation. But as the note-perfect "Blame It on My Youth" announces, this is Wilson's show, and a fine, memorable one at that. |
Musical Guests | | George Shearing | | Toots Thielemans | | Phil Woods | | Big Band All-Stars | | Kenny Lattimore | | Joe Negri | | Paquito D'Rivera | | Ivan Lins | | Bill Watrous | | Gary Burton |
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