Four Classic Albums (That's Him! / Abbey Is Blue / It's Magic / Straight Ahead)

Veery good content , Avid not the best with transcriptions sometimes...

Loved the different styles.

Abbey Lincoln: Four Classic Albums (AVID AMSC1302) features the three albums she recorded for Riverside, namely “That’s Him!” (1957), “It’s Magic” (1958) and “Abbey is Blue” (1959), all produced and annotated by Orrin Keepnews, plus her 1961 Candid album “Straight Ahead”. On the plus side, the recordings include some of the best musicians of the time, including Sonny Rollins. Kenny Dorham, Benny Golson, and Max Roach, her then husband, and there’s a judicious balance between her vocals and the accompaniment. Abbey’s voice is a pure one, but she deploys it forcefully, to the extent where she doesn’t deliver the lyrics so much as declaim them. That approach is often at odds with the material; for example “My Man”, a classic torch song that requires a degree of emotional sensitivity, here lacks the necessary subtlety and warmth to engender the necessary empathetic response. The recording quality is excellent, and I wish I could summon up more enthusiasm for the compilation, but I found it hard going.

I was so sure I had at least one Abbey Lincoln (1930-2010) album in my collection but on checking found that not to be the case so this excellent two-disc collection of her first four albums is indeed a gift which needs to be considered as unlike Ella, Carmen, Billie and Sarah, Abbey was less celebrated, even though her vocal vivacity and repertoire were beyond reproach. Maybe she spread her talents as singer, songwriter, actress and civil rights activist too widely.Nevertheless Abbey was a vocal force to be reckoned with and THAT’S HIM! recorded in late 1957, features her impressive interpretations of HAPPINESS IS JUST A THING CALLED JOE, MY MAN and Billie’s co-written anthem DON’T EXPLAIN. Similarly, two years later Abbey nailed the concept for ABBEY IS BLUE with THURSDAY’S CHILD, LAUGH CLOWN LAUGH and LOST IN THE STARS entirely suitable material for such a venture with both albums provided with a sympathetic jazzy background for the singer's emotive meanderings.Recorded in 1958, IT’S MAGIC is probably the most commercial album in this set as it presents the singer’s vocal take on mainly standards and LOVE, I AM IN LOVE, EXACTLY LIKE YOU and popular title song are prime highlights as she coasts her way through a modest orchestra which puts vocalist first and merely allows the occasional solo musician to take centre stage and blow up a storm.From the commercial appeal of the other three albums to STRAIGHT AHEAD is a big jump, as by 1961 when recorded, its seven longish tracks motivated a shift to what can only be classed as diversely dense choices, including no less than four of her co-written songs (including BLUE MONK, RETRIBUTION and album’s title number). Abbey’s abstract vocal stance certainly proved to be less appealing in comparison but I am sure a few more plays will conquer their somewhat challenging alien quality and familiarity will win out.Four perfectly themed albums on a double-disc demonstrate Abbey’s wide vocal individuality in great remastered sound with original album graphics and notes plus details of accompanying personnel to assist the listening experience. In fact the perfect way to make the acquaintance with an overlooked jazz singer.