Four great
albums from Dee Dee Bridgewatwer – a hell of a jazz singer, and also a great
soul talent too!
First up is a self-titled set from 1976 – Dee Dee
Bridgewater's first album as a soul singer – recorded a few years after she
first broke on the scene as a righteous jazz vocalist on hip early 70s
classics! The sound here is different than the material Bridgewater started
with, but still plenty great from a soul perspective – tightly-crafted,
sophisticated work that features both uptempo and mellow cuts – in a mode that's
quite similar to the Columbia work of Marlena Shaw – another former jazz
vocalist who made a 70s shift to soul. Production is by Gene Page, Jerry
Wexler, and Stephen Scheaffer – and the set was recorded in a variety of
different setting that spin out over the course of the tracks. We're most
partial to the mellow cuts – which trip along with some great spacey edges –
and titles include a great version of "He's Gone", plus "My
Prayer", "You Saved Me", "Goin Through The Motions",
"It Ain't Easy", and "Every Man Wants Another Man's Woman".
Just Family is a sweet funky fusion album that Dee Dee recorded for Elektra in
the late 70s. The set was produced by Stanley Clarke, and has a soul/fusion
sound that's not that different than his own work of the time, and which works
very well with Dee Dee's sweet vocal approach. Players include Bobby Lyle,
Ronnie Foster, George Duke, and other strong 70s fusion players – and overall,
the record's probably Dee Dee's best non straight jazz album of the 70s. Tracks
include "Sweet Rain", "Open Up Your Eyes", "Just
Family", "Melody Maker", and "Children Are The Spirit (Of
The World)".
Bad For Me is one of Dee Dee Bridgewater's standout sets as a
soul singer in the 70s – a mode that's quite different than the sound of
Bridgewater you may know from her mostly-jazz career – but one that gets plenty
of sharp help from the great George Duke! Duke produced the set – and really
knows how to balance Dee Dee's jazz roots with some of the modern soul impulses
of the set – letting her really soar on some mellower moments, while hewing to
the groove on the more upbeat cuts – which may well be some of the strongest on
the album. Throughout it all, Bridgewater is a model of care and class – very
different than most mainstream R&B singers of the time – and titles include
"Streetsinger", "For the Girls", "Love Won't Let Me
Go", "Back Of Your Mind", and "Is This What The Feeling
Gets".
Last up is the second self-titled Dee Dee Bridgewater album, from
1980 – recorded during a brief break from jazz at the end of the 70s, and done
with some sweetly grooving from Thom Bell! The sound here's a bit like that of
some of the later Philly International work from the same stretch – a maturing
style that still has a bit of the earlier groove in place, yet which also takes
on a more sophisticated approach, especially on the mellower cuts and ballads.
In a way, the format's a bit like that used for Jean Carn or Phyllis Hyman at
the time – and like those singers, Dee Dee seems to work best here when she's
got a nice gentle groove to bring out the jazzier inflections in her voice!
Titles include "When You're In Love", "That's The Way Love
Should Feel", "Give In To Love", "Lonely Disco
Dancer", "One In A Million Guy", and "Jody (Whoever You
Are)". ~ Dusty Groove
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