Stardust

I had fairly high expectations of this album, but I was unprepared for anything as earth-moving, soul-baring, adventurous, bold and revelatory as the final result: 19 tunes, each unlike any of the others, and arrangements that frequently recall the imaginative settings that, 40 years earlier, Nelson Riddle had provided for Natalie's father and Frank Sinatra. And when Sinatra left Capitol records to form his own company, Reprise Records, he "lightened up" on the serious art of the "Concept Albums," the collaborative projects with Riddle, and instead turned to ensembles like Count Basie's Band for some of the most hard-swinging, powerful performances since the so-called Swing Era. After 1968 and a self-imposed hiatus, Sinatra came back strong, but with recording necessarily taking a distant 2nd place to live performance. (If you can hear Frank swinging on "Galveston" or not breaking up in laughter while lamenting the "cake left in the rain" at "McArthur Park," perhaps he was mistaken to go after another class of listeners through concert performances rather than recordings. Yet, I hardly think so.)Natalie makes up for the lack of recording opportunities, beginning in the '70s, for Sinatra, Peggy, and all of the singers in the "jazz+American Popular Song tradition," by returning to the era of "classic" American melodies and doing so without apologies. Besides the program plus top-flight arrangers and a superb cast of musicians, she brings to this project a voice that has never been more vibrant, golden, and confident. And she's challenged to take her talents "to the max," especially on the tunes with bracing, hard-swinging arrangements executed by a formidable, hard-hitting jazz ensemble. Some vocalists would wither in the face of all this artillery. Natalie, by contrast, seems to thrive on the large scale of an extra-demanding program with super-charged arrangements and lavish orchestrations. This album, along with Shirley Horn's slightly earlier rare achievement with Johnny Mandel, "Here's to Life," is a work of uncommon depth, breadth, and vision. Both are among the last great salutes to the "Great American Songbook"; both are truly worthy of a body of work that, in retrospect, was a "golden age" in American popular music, leaving behind a treasure trove of songs seldom approached by the music that would follow--when singers with guitars, or performer-composers, along with the popularity of the new "music of the people" (folk, country, rock), would replace the polished craft of the professional composers of Tin Pan Alley, Broadway, and MGM musicals.Still, it's undeniable that after the explosion set off by Dylan, the Beatles, the Stones, etc., the music of Berlin, Arlen, Kern, Gershwin, Porter, Ellington and Strayhorn, Rodgers and Hart was no longer of interest to the '60s youthful generation with its unprecedented influence on consumer choices. More often than the not, the Great American Songbook was ignored or, worse, dismissed as "irrelevant," "sentimental," "insufficiently political" when in fact it was less instant, less psychological, more ironic and subtle, more layered and musically complex--i.e., too inaccessible to be deemed "popular entertainment" for a new generation whose pursuit of immediate pleasures became the focus of all merchandisers, including the music studios.Currently, if you look up Jimmy Webb at the internet's most comprehensive encyclopedia of popular music, AllMusic(dotcom), you'll be greeted by the claim that he "almost single-handedly invented artful Americana" and, moreover, "saved the songwriting profession from being ghettoized on the Broadway stage." Anyone familiar with the standards of the Great American Songbook will see how preposterous the statement is. Moreover, I know many young people who would find the second statement offensive. Webb's new album includes, on "McArthur Park" (Webb's signature pinnacle tune), Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys. Again, at the much-consulted AllMusic, you'll read that "Brian Wilson is arguably the greatest American composer of popular music in the rock era." (Really? Why not mention a Wilson tune--maybe even 2--to support that claim? The "rock era" includes all the music since 1960--music composed by Mandel, Mancini, LeGrand, Frishberg, in addition to Anton Carlos Jobim, whose many hits, though harmonically complex, resonated throughout American popular music and jazz--I have yet to find a Wilson tune in a jazz fakebook!). Whether you agree or not, both statements are all the more reason to pick up this album with Natalie and "live" with it for a while. So what if the songs don't translate as readily as "I Can't Get No Satisfaction"? And so what if the beat is more subtle than "Proud Mary"? Give it enough time to be able to take its "pulse." Ignore the reviews proclaiming the music as merely "nice and mellow sounds" for relaxing after a long hard day. (Who has that kind of free time on their hands?) This is music that demands and repays serious listening. There are a lot of songs here, enough for 2 CDs. And when you consider the musical program, the orchestrations, the performer's faithful yet fresh and creative interpretations, setting aside 5-6 hours to listen to it may no longer seem like the bad idea it had become in the 1970s.[At the time of this release, we were on the cusp of a new millennium and, before long, the replacement of LPs by CDs, then CDs by downloading and streaming. Recording companies would either fold or merge and cut way back on their expenditures. Today, it's no longer "practical" to produce a tribute "of scale" to the unique art of American Song that's as full-blown and celebratory of an era of singular invention and creativity as this program (George Benson's recent Nat Cole tribute, "Inspiration," is a worthy attempt, but in the end it falls short of putting, above all else, the songs themselves. (In all fairness, Nat himself consented to sing a lot of fluff--"Lazy Hazy Days," "Ramblin' Rose," even the sacred "Mona Lisa"--material that Sinatra would have passed down to Dean rather than consider for himself.--My theory is that Frank even took a pass on Strayhorn's "Lush Life" because the song's lyrics simply didn't suit the "gravitas" of his whole approach and person).The only criticism of the album that might carry some validity is that the program is overlong, carrying several expendable numbers. (I have to remind myself that Natalie's two versions of "When I Fall in Love" (a duet with dad) preceded the very similar, more recent versions by Tony Bennett and George Benson. I't a good, but not "great" song, by an underrated, major composer (Victor Young), but it's simply been done to death--though the final recording by late great bassist Ray Brown Live at Starbucks offers powerful evidence of the tune's claim to a permanent place in the Great American Songbook.) But listening, once again, to the title tune, fifteen years after Natalie recorded it and over half a century since songs like this were jettisoned by the consumer profilers and production moguls, you may be surprised to find that the answer to your dreams are within reach after all: dreaming, like music, can become its own reward:Sometimes I wonder why I spendThe lonely night dreaming of a song...Though I dream in vainIn my heart it will remainMy stardust melodyThe memory of love's refrain

This 1996 song collection is one of her best. Although the standard "Stardust" is the promoted number, the lead song "There's a lull in my life" steals the show and makes this CD a must own. From the 1937 film "Wake up and live!," this song made Alice Faye a star. Natalie's rendition will touch you and confirm her own award winning style. Natalie passed away from hepatitis C organ failure in 2015 and is truly missed.

Impressive & historic recording for now gone (RIP) Ms Cole. Rates as Top Notch, Incredible mix of great standards, great mix of production & backup musicians/orchestra, with Natalie sounding like the mature, sultry, & very much in control, Chanteuse she became during the latter half of her ultimately, rather substantial music career. She truly blessed millions with her mostly outstanding recordings, concerts, & angelic, very feminine, voice. I like many, was instantly saddened when i heard her courageous fight with health issues came to an end. While many if not most artists would have dialed back their career or retired completely, Ms Cole soldiered on, taking care of her family, her fans, and completing a stellar run of recordings that rank right up there with Streisand, Celine, her father, & dozens of outstanding previous female & male singers too numerous to mention. We've all been blessed to live during the great 20th century to early 21st century artistic explosion of talent & variety!

I think I enjoy some of her other albums more. Not quite sure why. Her "Unforgettable" albums are much better selections and my wife and I really enjoy her spanish album, too. This one hasn't been quite as nice as the others. Still it was worth it for a used, in nearly new condition CD at a great price. Hard to beat.

Every song by Natalie was perfect

Dear Amazon.Excellent service. I recieved the c.d. which I ordered within 1 week.The Quality of the c.d was first class.I will be happy to order more from you in the future and will happilyrecommend your site to all my friends and family.Many thanksCarolyn D.

This was purchased to replace the one I wore out.

AAAAAAAA++++++++++