Verve Remixed, Vol. 3 [Digipak]

Performer: Various Artists
Producer: Todd C. Roberts; Dahlia Ambach Caplin
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: Verve produced some of the most evocative, groove-oriented instrumental albums of the 1960s and '70s, a fact not lost on DJs and remix artists in the '90s and 2000s, who packed their crates with the label's back catalogue. Interestingly, this VERVE REMIXED set does not focus on standard club fare by mixing Verve samples with breakbeats. Instead, the guest producers look to the label's more famous female vocalists. Treatments of songs by Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan, Astrud Gilberto, and Dinah Washington, among others, combine the stellar voices of these singers and the sultry jazz of their original recordings with high-end contemporary electronica. The Postal Service's remix of Nina Simone's "Little Girl Blue" is virtually unrecognizable through its driving bounce, until Simone's familiar voice comes floating through. The Bent remix of Holiday's "Speak Low" gives it a dreamy, tropical sway that suits the tune nicely, while the quirky salsa groove of Anita O'Day's "Sing, Sing, Sing" and the pulsing indie-rock take on Vaughan's "Fever" are hypnotic and attention-grabbing. Other highlights include Brazilian Girls' New Wave/acid-house rendition of Blossom Dearie's "Just One of Those Things" and RJD2's trip-hop take on Astrud Gilberto's "The Gentle Rain." A cut above most remix outings, this set succeeds as an electronica offering and a nod to the label's rich history.

Rolling Stone (p.70) - 3.5 stars out of 5 - "Bent cut the tempo and pump up the existential melancholy of Billie Holiday's 'Speak Low'."

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