R.S.V.P. (Rare Songs, Very Personal)

Performer: Nancy Wilson
Artist: George Shearing; Toots Thielemans; Phil Woods; Big Band All-Stars; Kenny Lattimore; Joe Negri; Paquito D'Rivera; Ivan Lins; Bill Watrous; Gary Burton
Distributor: Fontana Distribution

Notes: Personnel: Nancy Wilson (vocals); Ivan Lins, Kenny Lattimore (vocals); Joe Negri (guitar); Toots Thielemans (harmonica); Paquito d'Rivera (clarinet); Phil Woods (alto saxophone); Andy Snitzer (tenor saxophone); Bill Watrous (trombone); George Shearing (piano); Gary Burton (vibraphone); Rufus Reid (bass guitar). Even given her dalliances with R&B and pop material during her long career, Nancy Wilson is unquestionably one of the legends of vocal jazz. R.S.V.P. (which here stands for "Rare Songs, Very Personal") finds Wilson coming home to roost with 12 songs that showcase her superb vocal stylings in the mode of classic swing and jazz balladry. For 2004's R.S.V.P., Wilson selected tunes she'd never had the opportunity to record in her 50 years in the business. One would never guess from these performances, however--Wilson sings these songs as though they were born in her throat. The sultry "An Older Man Is Like an Elegant Wine," for example, shows that she has lost none of her sumptuous, ballad-perfect timbre, but the bop-inflected ease of her phrases on "Day In, Day Out" remind us that her up-tempo exuberance is still jumping, too. A string of all-star guests--George Shearing, Toots Thielemans, Phil Woods, and Gary Burton, among others--make the collection sparkle even brighter, and her duets with R&B stars Kenny Lattimore and Ivan Lins may win converts from a younger generation. But as the note-perfect "Blame It on My Youth" announces, this is Wilson's show, and a fine, memorable one at that.

Down Beat (p.80) - 3 stars out of 5 - "R.S.V.P. demonstrates subtlety, grace and intimacy....Wilson demonstrates remarkable restraint, singing with an effective, almost youthful clarity and pristine beauty." JazzTimes (p.95) - "Wilson's still gorgeous voice sparkles on vintage fare..."

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