Review of It's a Good Thing Album by Jamie Davis

Jamie Davis
It'
s a Good Thing
Album Review

With production by the legendary Sly and the Family Stone drummer Greg Errico 'It's a Good Thing' showcases the rich creamy baritone of Jamie Davis - backed by the sterling Count Basie Orchestra providing big band music as soulfully as my generation might get to experience – performing songs by Thelonius Monk (Straight no Chaser), Stevie Wonder (Isn't she Lovely, Another Star), Consuelo Velesquez (Besame Mucho), George Harrison (Something), Cole Porter and a couple of songs by Joe Williams.

The arrangements on the album and the performance by the orchestra, conducted by pianist Shelly Berg, are sublime and could only be matched by a voice as strong yet as rich as one like Jamie Davis'.

There is more nostalgia than a feeling of being duped on the covered songs but for a listener like me, with a tendency to associate a song more with the original performer, I found his decision to cover old songs in the first half of the CD too comparable to the 'Talent search' template of current TV shows. But that's where the comparisons end for Jamie Davis is head and shoulders above the level of the contestants on these shows. I insult his ability by my comparison; his creamy easy baritone, and his tendency to infuse elements of his own style into the covers, shines all through the CD. Most especially on the Joe Williams' songs (the second half of the CD) 'Every Day I Have the Blues' and 'Alright Okay You Win'...

Jamie Davis It's a Good Thing Album


Released with a DVD revealing the labour of love that went into getting the talented artists on this work together 'It's a Good Thing' is a dinner party 'soothing-ambience-inducing' CD with its horn solo's and piano riffs that's bound to get your friends asking 'who's that singing that Stevie Wonder classic so differently but so well??'. Enjoy it…

Seyi - www.qbs4u.co.uk


Site - http://www.jamiedavis.com

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