Let Yourself Go: Celebrating Fred Astaire

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Grateful singers know that Fred Astaire virtually defined the Great American Songbook, beginning in the '30s with his legendary film collaborations with George and Ira Gershwin, Irving Berlin, and Jerome Kern. Stacey Kent pays tribute to Astaire in Let Yourself Go, the third stellar album for the London-based, New York-bred vocalist whose voice resembles a lighter version of Dinah Washington's. Kent shines on both gorgeous ballads ("They Can't Take That Away from Me") and solid swingers ("Shall We Dance"), and adds an easy bossa nova beat to "'S Wonderful." Trading lines with her is Kent's saxophonist-husband Jim Tomlinson, who fronts the solid band. Flexible with the rhythms yet never straying far from the melodies, Kent also pays perhaps the ultimate compliment to many of these songs by including the oft-neglected verses. Tony Bennett's 1993 Fred Astaire tribute was his breakthrough to the mainstream music scene. Perhaps Let Yourself Go will be the U.S. breakthrough for Stacey Kent. --David Horiuchi

The Times, London, September 21, 1999
Further enchantment is on hand from the beguiling vocalist Stacey Kent, whose Let Yourself Go, celebrating Fred Astaire is a winner. Kern rubs shoulders with Gershwin, Berlin, Mercer and Arlen in a cavalcade of favourites, among them Shall We Dance?, S'Wonderful and One for My Baby. The inimitably soft, midnight-blue hue of Kent's voice hypnotises with its instant intimacy and uncanny timing. She inhabits these songs with the same ease as she possessed In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning on... read more

Album Details
A Tribute to One of her Idols Fred Astaire. Interpretations of 'fine Romance', 'they all Laughed', 'i Won't Dance'etc.

Let Yourself Go: Celebrating Fred Astaire

Tracks:

Let Yourself Go (Irving Berlin)
They Can't Take That Away From Me (George/Ira Gerswhin)
I Won't Dance (Jerome Kern/Dorothy Fields/Jimmy McHugh)
Isn't This A Lovely Day? (Irving Berlin)
They All Laughed (George/Ira Gershwin)
He Loves And She Loves (George/Ira Gershwin)
Shall We Dance? (George/Ira Gershwin)
One For My Baby (Harold Arlen/Johnny Mercer)
S'Wonderful (George/Ira Gershwin)
A Fine Romance (Jerome Kern/Dorothy Fields)
I Guess I'll Have To Change My Plan (Howard Dietz/Arthur Schwartz)
I'm Putting All My Eggs In One Basket (Irving Berlin)
By Myself (Howard Dietz/Arthur Schwartz)

Amazon.com

Grateful singers know that Fred Astaire virtually defined the Great American Songbook, beginning in the '30s with his legendary film collaborations with George and Ira Gershwin, Irving Berlin, and Jerome Kern. Stacey Kent pays tribute to Astaire in Let Yourself Go, the third stellar album for the London-based, New York-bred vocalist whose voice resembles a lighter version of Dinah Washington's. Kent shines on both gorgeous ballads ("They Can't Take That Away from Me") and solid swingers ("Shall We Dance"), and adds an easy bossa nova beat to "'S Wonderful." Trading lines with her is Kent's saxophonist-husband Jim Tomlinson, who fronts the solid band. Flexible with the rhythms yet never straying far from the melodies, Kent also pays perhaps the ultimate compliment to many of these songs by including the oft-neglected verses. Tony Bennett's 1993 Fred Astaire tribute was his breakthrough to the mainstream music scene. Perhaps Let Yourself Go will be the U.S. breakthrough for Stacey Kent. --David Horiuchi

Album Details

A Tribute to One of her Idols Fred Astaire. Interpretations of 'fine Romance', 'they all Laughed', 'i Won't Dance'etc.

Customer Reviews:

upbeat Fred & Ginger.......2006-08-04

This is the my most recent Stacey purchase and I like the song selection more than I thought I would before I got it. More up beat and happy than her more ballad albums.

A recent Washington Post article before Stacey Kent's appearance at Blues Alley said she had an "adult sexuality". I had to find out. Having listened, she has a coy, kittenish sexuality that come through most all her songs. A kittenish, cat-and-mouse quality. I have since seen her at Blues Alley and she does a great live show. Both her and Jim seem less pretentious than a lot of stars.

She has a small voice - she rarely, if ever, sings loud or with much dynamics. But the mix is always consistent and pleasant.

The fav song here is the sad "One for my Baby", but I really like the cheerful title track. You can imagine Fred and Ginger dancing across the screen. Jim Tomlinson on Sax sounds like Stan Getz back from the grave, yet again.

Stacey & Jim have made a number of albums. The differences between each are the songs, whether the selection is to your taste, the arrangements are pretty similar from album to album.

Homage to Blossom.......2006-04-06

Stacey Kent has a tiny, girlish voice, similar in some ways to the wonderful Blossom Dearie, but without, as far as I can tell, an iota of Dearie's transcendent wit and humor. Kent's album covers, with their glamour girl sheen, reinforce the idea that she takes herself very seriously. This album makes pleasant background music, but it's not a sit down and listen kind of album. The songs don't feel lived in, and she doesn't feel as if she has enough life experience to invest them with the requisite meaning. Still, pleasant sounds are better than unpleasant ones, and for that reason I give it two stars.

Simply A Must-Have in Your Collection !.......2005-05-01

Few contemporary vocalists interpret standards with new delight while keeping the original glory in tact. Stacey's voice is clear and warm; and unlike many recordings, the instrumentals accent the vocals instead of compete against them. Between Noah Jones, Diana Krall, Jane Monheit, and Stacey Kent, I enjoy Stacey Kent the most.

Soft and smooth.......2004-06-12

I don't know just where Stacey Kent came from, but the first time I heard her voice I thought it was an old recording of Joanie Sommers. But Stacey has a certain knack for great phrasing as well, and she hits all the right notes.

Fitting tribute to Fred's music.......2004-01-10

According to the liner notes written by Stacey, as a child she used to imagine herself in place of Ginger Rogers. Stacey shows her obvious enthusiasm for, and familiarity with, Fred's music in this, her third album. It is unusual for a singer to pay tribute to an artist from the thirties and forties, as tribute albums devoted to that era usually focus on the composer, but this is a brilliant album.

Stacey chose mostly well-known songs including such classics as Let yourself go, They can't take that away from me, Isn't this a lovely day, S'wonderful and A fine romance. Of course, Fred had many more classic songs that Stacey didn't include (such as Putting on the Ritz, The continental, Cheek to cheek, Fascinating rhythm, Nice work if you can get it, Night and day), but the thirteen songs chosen offer a good representation. Irving Berlin composed three of the songs here, while there are five by George and Ira Gershwin. Between them, those three men were responsible for the majority of Fred's classics so it is no surprise to find they have the majority here. All the songs here suit Stacey's style perfectly, and all are suitably updated for modern listeners while respecting tradition.

The musicianship is, as always on a Stacey Kent album, outstanding. If you are a jazz vocal fan or a Fred Astaire fan, or you are simply wondering what made Fred legendary, this is just for you.

Music:

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