Cleo Laine
When she sings with her husband, saxophonist-conductor-composer John Dankworth, Laine sometimes seems to have to work herself into an emotional lather. In this affecting collection, recorded with only the sensitive keyboardist Laurie Holloway and bassist Allen Walley backing her, she lets the music flow at its own lovely pace, without the straining. Laine's exact British diction still seems odd on the bluesier tunes, such as I've Got It Bad and That Ain't Good. But her husky, real-grown-up-woman's voice has never been used to better effect. The 18 tunes include a lot of commonly recorded standards, such as the title track or I've Got a Crush on You. There are other less known but no less worthy songs, such as Bobby Troup's You're Looking at Me, Cole Porter's Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye and Richard Rodney Bennett's I Never Went Away. For quiet, reflective soft jazz, it's hard to top this album. (FM/CBS)
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