Margie Nelson - Hungry Girl CD
"Your cd "Hungry Girl" has a wonderful, fun loving, at times zany interpretation of Jazz and l feel that this is the endearing quality. To be original in this day and age is extremely difficult but you have most definitely have achieved that with this stunningly produced and orchestrated cd. Your phrasing is first class and sets the tone for the entire cd whether it be straight ahead or Latin Jazz inspired numbers. Love this release and positively expect our listeners to do so as well." Peter Merrett, PBS FM 106.7 Melbourne, Australia
"Just received Hungry Girl. . .homerun. . out of the park!" Bob Collins/Jazz Producer/WRHU (NYC)
Margie Nelson is a very talented singer who is finally stepping out.
Throughout Hungry Girl, she displays a real understanding for the
words she sings, versatility, a solid sense of swing, and a very
appealing voice.
A resident of Santa Barbara for the past 15 years, Margie considers
herself a late bloomer. She evolved from performance workshops to
showcases, from performing with the Swizzle Sisters (ranging from girl
group material to jazz and even country) to forming her own group and
singing jazz in clubs. A mellow and sultry singer with a winning
personality, Margie considers Anita O'Day to be one of her idols yet
sounds very much like herself.
For Hungry Girl, Margie enlisted performers who are well respected not
only for their musicianship and creativity but their ability to
perform with singers. Pianist Christian Jacob and bassist Kevin Axt
are longtime members of the Tierney Sutton band while keyboardist
Quinn Johnson and drummer Kevin Winard (who is the CD's producer) are
in Steve Tyrell's regular working band with Johnson being his music
director. Saxophonist Matt Catingub (who often sings on his own
albums) is a welcome guest while Stephen Geyer has a prominent role on
the wonderful bossa nova “If You Never Come To Me” as guitarist and
arranger.
One cannot help but be very impressed by Margie's singing, the
musicians' sympathetic playing, and the material which is given
inventive frameworks. It is rare when one gets to hear such songs as
Bobby Troup's “Hungry Girl” (with its line “when I want turkey, I go
to Albuquerque”), “How Come” (given a Louis Prima-type rendition with
some wailing Catingub alto), the masochistic love song “I Love The Way
You're Breaking My Heart,” Joni Mitchell's “Be Cool,” and “I Need You
(Like A Hole In The Head),” which was inspired by Pearl Bailey's
obscure but lively version.
Even when a song is better known, such as “An Occasional Man,” “The
Best Is Yet To Come,” a cooking “Ain't Nobody's Business But My Own”
(which has Margie singing a rollicking duet with Kevin Winard), or “I
Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me,” these versions contain
their share of surprises. Not to be missed are a heartfelt vocal-piano
duet with Jacob on “Where Do You Start” and a classic ballad rendition
of “Don't Go To Strangers” in which Margie's voice interacts with
Catingub's warm tenor.
Hungry Girl is both a very impressive debut for Margie Nelson, and the
type of CD that fans of vocal jazz will thoroughly enjoy and treasure.
Scott Yanow, Author of ten books including The Jazz Singers, Swing,
Jazz On Film, and Jazz On Record 1917-76
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