Let It Be Jazz: Connie Evingson Sings the Beatles

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Let It Be Jazz is jazz vocalist Connie Evingson's most enjoyable work to date. It certainly helps that the source material is the songs of John Lennon and Paul McCartney, but her willingness to venture beyond the usual "red album"/"blue album" fare gives some welcome exposure to such gems as "The Night Before" and "For No One" (both gorgeously accompanied by piano). Evingson seems utterly at home, gently swinging "From Me to You" and laying down a funky groove in "Fixing a Hole." Also fun is the playful instrumentation, which includes a sitar for "Blackbird" and a bandoneon for a delicious "When I'm 64" that seems to anticipate a joyous old age filled with tango and romance. --David Horiuchi

Tracks:

Blackbird
Wait
The Night Before
Can't Buy Me Love
From Me To You
Fixing A Hole
When I'm 64
I'm Looking Through You
For No One
I Will
Oh! Darling
Got To Get You Into My Life
Good Day Sunshine
When I'm 64, Version 2

Amazon.com

Let It Be Jazz is jazz vocalist Connie Evingson's most enjoyable work to date. It certainly helps that the source material is the songs of John Lennon and Paul McCartney, but her willingness to venture beyond the usual "red album"/"blue album" fare gives some welcome exposure to such gems as "The Night Before" and "For No One" (both gorgeously accompanied by piano). Evingson seems utterly at home, gently swinging "From Me to You" and laying down a funky groove in "Fixing a Hole." Also fun is the playful instrumentation, which includes a sitar for "Blackbird" and a bandoneon for a delicious "When I'm 64" that seems to anticipate a joyous old age filled with tango and romance. --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews:

Sweet little endorphin rush.......2007-06-03

Ms. Evingson did a fantastic job interpreting Lennon/McCartney material. She took the tunes and turned them into songs wherein we can re-savor the vibe of this great body of work. Does she pay homage to the spirit of Lennon/McCartney? No doubt. But she is not slavish to it, either. She stands on the shoulders of Lennon/McCarntney, and with incredible vision takes the work to a new, unexpected and sweet level. My only complaint? That she hasn't re-interpreted more of the Beatle library!

It's a bloody shame, it is.............2005-08-28

.......that a quality voice and good arrangements can inflict such damage on Beatles' material. The problem is that the treatments don't match up with the songs to which they have been applied. When Ray Charles sang Hank Williams, it became Ray's song for those moments, and that is what has to be done when a musician takes on material so indelibly marked by master crafts people. Evingson doesn't do that and frequently she misses to the extent that it sounds like a send-up of the original. With each track,I kept telling myself that my attitude would improve with subsequent listenings ---
and then came the first take on "64" --- and I abandoned hope. She lays a Latin beat on this delightfull whimsical number, and her rendition becomes a technical exercise, reflecting no comprehension of a song that is accustomed to generating wry smiles as we contemplate the coming challenges of age and aging marriages. "Blackbird" is interesting, but Ms. Evingson mostly fails to display a meaningful feel for the material.

Great music and, oh yeah, it's Beatles tunes.......2003-11-30

There are a number of reasons to buy Let It Be Jazz: Connie Evingson Sings The Beatles and the least of them is that the cd is covers of Beatles songs. In fact, you can forget that these are Beatles tunes and just remember that they are good songs performed well and with originality. Mary Louise Knutson, a fine pianist (just listen to the terrific piano-vocal duet of The Night Before,) has collaborated with Evingson on most of the arrangements which contribute greatly to the success of the cd. Connie sings them all well and sounds like she is having a great time. Her voice is terrific and her phrasing suits each song well. The melding of jazz with pop is done without diminishing either. And if you have a fondness for Beatles tunes, then it's icing on the cake.

A mixed bag.......2003-11-17

In listening to this album, I hear lots of great potential and occasional moments of great music...but at the same time, there's a fair amount that just fails to click.

The album begins very well, Dean Magraw's riffing on an electric sitar blends wonderfully into an "All Blues" riff...all of this leading into a very fun, naughty take on Blackbird. The album also ends well with a secret track of When I'm 64 in which Evingson lets loose with the band in a borderline polka take (go Minnesota roots!).

However, then there's the middle stuff. To be sure, Evingson has a nice, sultry voice and she has great musicians working with her, but in general the album feels bored and uninspired. It's difficult to really meld the Beatles' music into something new, unique and great (the songs were great to begin with), but at the same time, it doesn't hurt to try something new if you're going to jazz it up.

And therein lies the problem I feel. Excepting Blackbird and the secret track, I get the impression that they felt that simply swinging the songs would be sufficient. And occasionally that's fine and sounds good. But the fact remains, that "fine and sounds good" does not make a brilliant, lasting album.

If you love Evingson, then buy it. If you love hearing the Beatles in any shape or form, but it. However, if you want a unique take on the Beatles, then I suggest buying Jason Faulkner's "Bedtime with the Beatles" album instead.

Music:

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