Vocalist Lynne Fiddmont’s -||- Lady [Reviewed] |

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African American, Female Vocalist, Jazz, Lynne Fiddmont

Lynne Fiddmont - Lady

Lynne Fiddmont -\\- Lady – [MidLife Records, 2010] – Review by Jerry “The Mouse” Clark

I could start and end this review with one word angelic (that is not the case). The inspiration from Billie Holiday, Lynne’s songbird persona and an accompanying cast of gifted musicians is the recipe for this outstanding album. You maybe familiar with Lynne Fiddmont and not know it. The lady has performed with Stevie Wonder (member of Wonder Love), Bill Withers, Patti Austin, Whitney Houston, Babyface and countless more.

Now it time to get down to business and share my experience listening to Lady for the past three days. I love that first track high that you get after hitting the play button and the track meet your expectations. After that experience you feel that there is more greatness to come. This first selection happen to be the standard “All The Way” marvelous arranged with the help of Gerald Albright on sax. What is refreshing is the combination of two songs into one “Fine and Mellow/He’s So Fine” (blending Billie Holiday and Lynne into the mix).

The sweetest tune on the album is “I Cover the Waterfront’. The song tells an incredible story of finding a lost love with a hint of “Sitting on the Dock of The Bay” towards the end of the song. When I’m in the Billie Holiday mood “Good Morning Heartache” and “God Bless the Child” gets the juices flowing for me. Lynne brings a samba groove to both tracks that travel like a genital breeze.

Lynne painted a musical portrait of Billie Holiday writing and performing “Lady”. This song expresses “an attempt to introduce a new Day and bridge the gap between the past and the future to usher Miss Billie Holiday into the 21st century” quoted by Lynne Fiddmont in the liner notes. This one of the finest cuts on the cd by far! A spiced up “Night and Day/I Think of You” has an African/Calypso beat that shows off Lynne’s World Music side.

The jazziest track I must say is “Lover Man”, the girl shows out on this one. She gets assistance from the combination of Billy Childs (piano) and Christian McBride (bass) laying down an intoxicating vibe. “What a Little Moonlight Can Do” is a gem! It is amazing how the songs sound on this project. Lynne waved her magic wand on every track.

Wrapping up Lady in fitting fashion is the track “Do Nothing “Til You Hear Me/ Wayman’s Groove” (a dedication to the late Wayman Tisdale). Lynne and Kirk Whalum (sax) masterfully pays tribute to his good friend. This cd is a must for you music library.

Log on to http://www.lynnefiddmont.com/Home.html or Amazon.com to purchase.

Lynne Fiddmont – vocals
Gerald Albright – sax
Kirk Whalum – sax
George Duke – keys
Victor Bailey – bass
Keith Fiddmont – sax
Christian McBride – bass
Billy Childs – piano
Brian Simpson – piano
Billy Kilson – drums