Product Description

New Jersey R&B singer Regina Belle's 2004 record, LAZY AFTERNOON, is produced by pianist George Duke, and though it's loaded with jazz standards and features her wonderfully breathy vocal style, it's not a straightforward jazz record. Alsoincorporating elements of pop, torch singing, and lounge music, this outing is filtered through the singer's soul sensibilities.
The selection roams through composers of diverse backgrounds, with Belle's voice sliding comfortably into any style presented here. Belle finds a new angle to one of the most enduring of standards, "Fly Me to the Moon", openingwith a dreamy, gin-soaked manner before shifting into a wonderfully unusual, modern R&B-flecked chorus. She tips her hat brilliantly to Brazilian master Antonio Carlos Jobim on a deft cover of his "Corcovado", before unveiling her own (co-written with Duke) Latin-tinged composition, the sly "There's a Love". A syncopated, Stax-like take on "Try a Little Tenderness" closes LAZY AFTERNOON, a breezy and original album.

Track Listing

1. Lazy Afternoon
2. Fly Me To The Moon
3. What Are You Afraid Of
4. If I Ruled The World
5. Corcovado
6. There's A Love
7. Why Do People Fall In Love
8. For The Love Of You
9. If I Should Lose You
10. Moanin'
11. Man I Love
12. Try A Little Tenderness

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #68218 in Music
• Released on: 2004-07-13
• Number of discs: 1

Customer Reviews

Regina: a show-stopper with star power.
When Regina Belle sings, she's like a historian. In her phrasings one can hear the struggles of generations of black singers who used the sheer, powerful force of vocal styling to tell their stories.
Compared with other contemporary singers, her voice reveals real strength of character. She may not have the biggest voice or hold the longest notes, but her sound really resonates in a room. It calls up the spirits of black musicianship. And when Regina gets the spirit, the spirit gets you. Or,as she admits, people believe her.
We all know this Lady from her numerous hits and especially the Grammy awarded tune " A Whole New World " back in 1993. If you loved those songs then you will not be disappointed with her latest offering.
The vibe of the album is laid back, sun-drenched with jazzy flavours and unapologetically adult-oriented.

Regina's vocals are fantastic and are also captivating in that they are sexy, smooth, luxuriant and relaxed in a magnificently warm amalgam. For instance, check out the opening song, the ESSENTIAL "Lazy Afternoon". Every time I get into this sexy groove I hear Billie Holiday's influences, Nina Simone's depth, Sarah Vaughan's sensibilities, Julie London's barely restrained eroticism betwixt the groove and Nancy Wilson's sensitivity in delivery. Oh yes, this is what I want to hear!!!

"Lazy Afternoon" is a gorgeous floater that will have lovers reaching for the repeat button. We do not hear tracks of this quality much nowadays, dear readers, and the fact that there are but 12 songs on offer here should not put you off at all.
Here in this world it is the quality that counts and there's more of that in the first two tracks that anywhere else, let alone the rest of the CD!!!
The aforementioned "Lazy Afternoon" lopes along with its warm , sensual, jaunty stride and has echoes of Sarah Vaughan within its make-up. I'm thinking more of the sensitive arrangements and chord changes that are cleverly and neatly understated.
When I heard "Why Do People Fall In Love" I could imagine Anita Baker attempting this type of ballad. I especially like the fresh, live feel of the recording . This song is woefully short for my liking - a sure-fire indicator that I love it very much and cannot get enough of it. Luckily the beautiful "If I Ruled The World" has similar traits and although does not rise to such dizzy heights has much to keep you gripped...(please, just to understand how a song should be interpreted,check the latest Tony Bennett's "An American Classic : Duets" album and the same song sung by Tony and Celine Dion -- ) !! Can you hear, can you feel the difference ?
More impressive still is the excellent "If I Should Lose You" with only George Duke on acoustic piano.
It really is lovely to have real singing and real instruments in the studio. Slinky, hearbreakingly emotional - a dream of a track! Enough said.
Throughout the whole album, the backing, heavenly vocals by the Perri Sisters in support are sublime.
"The Man I Love" and "Try A Little Tenderness" are the jazziest offerings and a smart, cool way to drop the curtain on what has been one of THE albums of 2005 so far.
Please do not overlook this album. Hopefully we will receive more gems like this from Regina Belle in the coming years.

She strikes again ! Regina has stolen my heart !
was so pleasantly surprised to hear Regina Belle re-doing and refining some of well known standards and Broadway tunes.
The instrumentation and vocals are just splendid, and she always commands the best session men.
George Duke, Everette Harp,Christian McBride, Ray Fuller, Lenny Castro,the Perris and many other top-notch jazz musicians...all totally support Regina's unbelievable voice and styling on every cut.
Not a weak one in the bunch.
You touch me,you dazzle me,Regina,you have stolen my heart.
And " Why Do People Fall In Love" just has to be on anyone's list for best written, performed, and produced cuts.
Just sit-back and enjoy this astonishing , high-quality CD. You'll be glad that you did!

editor@raveindia.com Review.
Regina Belle possesses one of those voices that usually define an epoch in music.
Her understanding and grasp of elements of big band , swing ,contemporary jazz , and R&B make her the first among equals.
She'd have completely gone under our radar if it weren't for Giuseppe Zaccagnino , RAVE MAGAZINE reader and currently Consul General of Italy in Mumbai ( BOMBAY ) , INDIA , who wrote us and even mailed us a copy of her CD for review.
On LAZY AFTERNOON , Belle sticks mostly to jazz standards like " Corcovado " and " The Man I Love ".
She is not all that popular in INDIA ,and that's owing mainly to the fact that no label has brought her music to this Country ,but this one suggests just cause to at least begin NOW .
It bristles with energy , passion and an undeniably brilliant voice.
Jaideep.V.G
editor@raveindia.com
Editor-In-Chief
"Rave" Music Magazine