Swingin' for Schuur

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
The title of this recording alludes to two things. Swingin' for Schuur features the stratospheric trumpet and flugelhorn master Maynard Ferguson and his 11-piece, high-octane Big Bop Nouveau Band fronting the powerful, two-time Grammy Award-winning vocalist Diane Schuur. The title also refers to the no-nonsense, straight-ahead swing emanating from these two jazz giants. Ferguson's high-register trumpet tones add fuel to the fire of Schuur's powerful, Ella Fitzgerald-derived vocals. Together, they both generate enough heat to give old standards such as "Just One of Those Things," "Besame Mucho," and "Deep Purple" a 21st-century sheen. Schuur turns in a bouncy version of Lionel Hampton's seldom-heard ballad "Midnight Sun," and Schuur and Ferguson recast Billy Strayhorn's "Lush Life" with a bravura horn arrangement. --Eugene Holley Jr.

Tracks:

Just One Of Those Things
Besame Mucho
Deep Purple
Autumn Leaves
My Romance
Love Letters
East Of The Sun And West Of The Moon
Midnight Sun
I Fall In Love Too Easily
Lush Life
Just Friends
Let's Fall In Love

Amazon.com

The title of this recording alludes to two things. Swingin' for Schuur features the stratospheric trumpet and flugelhorn master Maynard Ferguson and his 11-piece, high-octane Big Bop Nouveau Band fronting the powerful, two-time Grammy Award-winning vocalist Diane Schuur. The title also refers to the no-nonsense, straight-ahead swing emanating from these two jazz giants. Ferguson's high-register trumpet tones add fuel to the fire of Schuur's powerful, Ella Fitzgerald-derived vocals. Together, they both generate enough heat to give old standards such as "Just One of Those Things," "Besame Mucho," and "Deep Purple" a 21st-century sheen. Schuur turns in a bouncy version of Lionel Hampton's seldom-heard ballad "Midnight Sun," and Schuur and Ferguson recast Billy Strayhorn's "Lush Life" with a bravura horn arrangement. --Eugene Holley Jr.

Customer Reviews:

Brilliant & more.......2003-07-29

What a pleasure this collaboration brings!! One of Diane's finest and best vocal recordings. She surpasses her previous CD's with these jazz vocals. Others try to imitate but Diane Schuur is the original piano-playing diva! Maynard Ferguson shines. Wonderful jazz orchestrations full of energy and style abound. If you love classic standard jazz, you must have this one in your collection.

An Interesting Turn.......2003-02-28

Without sounding detached, this album melds two distinct styles of jazz and vocal to create a surprisingly cohesive album. Maynard Ferguson's instrumental arrangements usually doesn't allow a vocal, Diane doesn't sound like a guest star on her own album. The two entities here recorded great standards without compromising their individual styles. Maynard was allowed creative space to arrange and execute the music and Diane rolled with it, almost becoming an instrument herself with an excellent sense of timing. The selection of standards is masterful, not one misplaced song. Each title is represented with basic trio of piano, bass, and drum, backed by a full horn section. Diane's vocal presence and passion is throughout this album. My favorite song from this album is "Lush Life." Diane sounds world weary and tired of love, she's drinking away the pain of loneliness in some small dive. We've heard the song hundreds of times and probably experienced her pain ourselves by now, or will if we're not over thirty years old. "Autumn Leaves" and "Midnight Sun" are tearjearkers too, sung with so much passion these songs seem new again. While this album certainly swings and Diane's vocal is compared to Ella Fitzgerald's on this particular set, something else is foreshadowing here, the presence of sad torch songs. "Just One Of Those Things" is a swinger on the surface, but listen to the lyric. After all these sad songs, the closing track, "Let's Fall In Love" asks "Why shouldn't we fall in love?" Decipher this as you will. Overall?? This is a wonderful second album for Diane on the Concord label.

A Jazz Locamotive!.......2002-04-29

This album is a full throttle, non-stop, get-out-of-the-way, steam engine barrelling at you full speed ahead! It's a powerhouse.

I have long been a fan of Maynard Ferguson and his bands. This album made me re-evaluate Diane Schuur. The first time I heard her years ago, she must have been having a bad night. She seemed flat and off-key. I never gave her a second listen. When I saw this cd in the store I figured the combination of Ferguson and Schurr might be interesting so I picked it up. I have definately changed my opinion of Diane Schurr.

Few singers sing with her power or range. I can think of only a few, male or female, (Eydie Gorme, Mel Torme) who come close.

In addition, the arrangements are fascinating and unique (check out Besame Mucho), and the musicians are in top form.

I see Diane Schurr has an album with the Basie band (my all time favorite band). After hearing her on this album, I am eager to add that one to my collection as well.

Great Big Band/Vocal Album.......2002-03-07

Sultry piano trio jazz this ain't. Perhaps the thrill of Big Brass is an acquired taste these days. I know people who will happily sit and listen to Korn, but claim that Stan Kenton hurts their ears. But, this is a great old time big band record, big and brassy (gosh Modern Jazz is over 50 years old!) like something Kenton (MF's old boss) might've cooked up if he had a singer with chops like Diane Shuur's. All the "screaming" is under control and the high notes are all tastfully distributed. Somehow, I suspect that this is the first time that Shuur has had an opportunity to use her 4 octave range to it's fullest, and I hope she continues to work with Maynard Ferguson. He plainly knows how to treat a good singer.

Swing...swing...swing.......2002-02-18

I guess I don't understand some reviewer's definition of "screaming". Ms. Schuur is singing "jazz"...not "smooth jazz", not "cabaret", not "new age". I hear nothing that even comes to close to my definition of "screaming". As a jazz vocalist, Diane Schuur is among the top current singers. Her vocal range and interpretation is astonishing. To the reviewers who have admired her "smooth style" for a long time I would like to remind them that when she sings most of her up tempo songs...she does move into her upper range. She has always sung this way...perhaps that particular reviewer should listen to her earlier work again. The only thing a would recommend is that Ms. Schuur put an end to groan inducing word plays on her name as titles for her albums.

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