Trav'lin' Light

Trav'lin' Light

Trav'lin' Light

Trav'lin' Light

CD

$17.99 
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Overview

Trav'lin' Light, Queen Latifah's follow-up to her first collection of pop standards, The Dana Owens Album (2004), is, if anything, even better than that Grammy-nominated set. Contemporary performers often get into trouble when they take on music of the pre-rock era, but this one, who is by now so far removed from her origins that she probably should be referred to as a former rapper, not only has the vocal talent to carry it off, she also has put in the hard work with producers, arrangers, musicians, and (no doubt) a vocal coach to create a more-than-credible album. Previously, Queen Latifah made the jump from rapper to Oscar-nominated actress, and her acting classes also seem to have come in handy here. In song after song, she has come up with a character to portray through the lyrics, and that helps make her interpretations convincing. Sometimes, it is the songwriters themselves she seems to be channeling. "Poetry Man," the leadoff track, is not far removed from Phoebe Snow's original, although Queen Latifah wisely undersings where Snow elaborated. Similarly, on "I Love Being Here with You" and "I Want a Little Sugar in My Bowl," she seems more than familiar with the originals by authors Peggy Lee and Nina Simone, and her versions are affectionate annotations on them. She probably knows the '40s song "Don't Cry Baby" through its '60s revivals by Etta James and Aretha Franklin, and without competing against those greats gives it an enthusiastic treatment. And, of course, the title song dates to a Billie Holiday recording with Paul Whiteman; Queen Latifah suggests Holiday's style without aping it. She is ably assisted by some expert studio supporters including producers Tommy LiPuma and Ron Fair and arrangers Jerry Hey and John Clayton; no expense has been spared in filling several studios with dozens of musicians, including full string and horn sections and such name soloists as Stevie Wonder (featured on harmonica on "Georgia Rose") and Joe Sample (piano on "Georgia Rose," "Trav'lin' Light," and "I Want a Little Sugar in My Bowl"). A great deal of thought has gone into the song choices (executive producer Monica Lynch is thanked specifically for her suggestions), which range from the '20s all the way up to "I Know Where I've Been" from the 2007 Hairspray soundtrack. Finally, however, it is the singer herself who deserves the credit for making the album work. As with her acting, Queen Latifah's singing is most laudable for not trying to do too much; she may evoke James or Simone or Holiday (or Smokey Robinson or the Pointer Sisters), but she never tries to outsing them; rather, her versions are glosses on the greats she and her producers so admire. ~ William Ruhlmann

Product Details

Release Date: 09/25/2007
Label: Verve
UPC: 0602517365049
Rank: 84074

Tracks

  1. Poetry Man
  2. Georgia Rose
  3. Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars
  4. Don't Cry Baby
  5. I Love Being Here With You
  6. I'm Gonna Live till I Die
  7. Trav'lin' Light
  8. Sugar in My Bowl
  9. I'm Not in Love
  10. What Love Has Joined Together
  11. How Long (Betcha' Got a Chick on the Side)
  12. Gone Away
  13. I Know Where I've Been

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Queen Latifah   Primary Artist
Stevie Wonder   Primary Artist,Harmonica
Sarah Thornblade   Violin
Niki Haris   Vocals (Background)
Oscar Castro-Neves   Guitar
Joe Sample   Piano
Charlie Bisharat   Violin
Joel Peskin   Sax (Tenor),Flute (Alto),Sax (Baritone)
James Ford III   Trumpet
Lee Callet   Clarinet,Sax (Baritone)
Ronald Clark   Violin
Songa Lee   Violin
Katia Popov   Violin
Gary Bias   Sax (Tenor),Flute (Alto)
Alan Grunfeld   Violin
Becky Bunnell   Violin
Jim Ross   Viola
Sara Parkins   Violin
Matthew Funes   Viola
Mario de Leon   Violin
Reggie C. Young   Trombone
Chris Ermacoff   Cello
Phillip Levy   Violin
Victoria Miskolczy   Viola
Alex Iles   Trombone
Greg Mathieson   Organ,Keyboards
Jerry Hey   Conductor
Darrin McCann   Viola
Rick Baptist   Trumpet
Michael Landau   Guitar
Mark Cargill   Violin
Andrew Duckles   Viola
Stephen Erdody   Cello
Dan Higgins   Sax (Alto),Sax (Tenor),Flute (Alto)
Evan Wilson   Viola
Abe Laboriel, Jr.   Drums
Anthony Wilson   Guitar
Abraham Laboriel, Sr.   Bass
Alan Pasqua   Keyboards
Josefina Vergara   Violin
Robin Olson   Violin
Gary Grant   Trumpet,Flugelhorn
Julie Gigante   Violin
Gilbert Castellanos   Trumpet
Dan Tobin Smith   Cello
Anatoly Rosinsky   Violin
Irina Voloshina   Violin
Shawn Mann   Viola
Suzie Katayama   Cello
Peter Kent   Violin
John Goux   Guitar
Lamont Van Hook   Vocals (Background)
Larry Hall   Trumpet,Flugelhorn
Ron King   Trumpet
Gayle Levant   Harp
Fred White   Vocals (Background)
Paul Jackson, Jr.   Guitar
Sid Page   Violin
George Duke   Piano,Fender Rhodes
Natalie Leggett   Violin
Jim Cox   Keyboards
Andrew Martin   Trombone
Brian Dembow   Viola
Larry Corbett   Cello
Keith Fiddmont   Sax (Alto)
Yvette Devereaux   Violin
Bruce Dukov   Violin
Christian McBride   Bass
Kevin Ricard   Percussion
Toots Thielemans   Harmonica
Jacqueline Brand   Violin
Jeff Clayton   Sax (Alto)
Jeff Hamilton   Drums
Maurice Spears   Trombone (Bass)
George Bohanon   Trombone
William Frank "Bill" Reichenbach Jr.   Tuba,Trombone (Bass)
John Clayton   Conductor
Charlie Owens   Sax (Tenor)
Alex Al   Bass
Cecilia Tsan   Cello
Wayne Bergeron   Trumpet,Flugelhorn
Valerie Pinkston   Vocals (Background)
Luis Conte   Percussion

Technical Credits

Nina Simone   Composer
Gene Lees   Composer,Translation
Bill Airey Smith   Engineer
Mann Curtis   Composer
Jimmy Fylnn   Composer
David J. Robinson   Composer
Leroy Hutson   Composer
Smokey Robinson   Composer
Saul Bernie   Composer
Peter Mokran   Mixing
Anita Pointer   Composer
Al Hoffman   Composer
Al Schmitt   Mixing,Engineer
Harry Rosenthal   Composer
Mike Eleopoulos   Mixing,Engineer
Jonathan Merritt   Assistant Engineer
Shari Sutcliffe   Music Contractor,Project Coordinator
Julie Baker   Hair Stylist
Buffy Hubelbank   Production Coordination
Shakim Compere   Executive Producer
Michael Thompson   Photography
Jimmy Johnson   Composer,Composer
Hollis King   Art Direction
Bill Schluger   Composer
Antonio Resendiz   Assistant Engineer
Jill Dell'Abate   Production Coordination
Stephane Sednaoui   Photography
Jim Mundy   Composer
Bill Hughes   Orchestra Manager
John Newcott   Release Coordinator
Susan Moses   Stylist,Wardrobe
Roxanna Floy   Make-Up
Lisa Hansen   Release Coordinator
Sachico Asano   Graphic Design
Ramon Rivas   Assistant Engineer
Evelyn Morgan   A&R
Phoebe   Composer
Patricia Pointer   Composer
Ron Fair   Producer
Robert Rogers   Composer
June Pointer   Composer
Tal Herzberg   Engineer,Digital Editing
Monica Lynch   A&R,Executive Producer
Tommy LiPuma   Producer
Buddy Kaye   Translation
Manny Curtis   Composer
Tommy Vicari   Mixing
Stevie Wonder   Featured Artist
Eric Weaver   Mixing Assistant
Marc Shaiman   Composer,Producer
Trummy Young   Composer
William Robinson   Composer
Phoebe Snow   Composer
Cameron Mizell   Release Coordinator
Anthony Caruso   Digital Editing,Assistant Engineer
Nate Hertweck   Mixing Assistant
Alexander Sullivan   Composer
Walter Kent   Composer
Steve Genewick   Engineer,Digital Editing
Antonio Carlos Jobim   Composer
Allen Sides   Engineer
Stella Unger   Composer
Bernie Grundman   Mastering
Jimmy Mundy   Composer
Jack Joseph Puig   Mixing
James P. Johnson   Composer
Curtis Mayfield   Composer
Graham Gouldman   Composer
Eric Stewart   Composer
Joe McEwen   A&R
Ryan Kennedy   Mixing Assistant
Donny Hathaway   Composer
Doug Sax   Mastering
Ruth Pointer   Composer
John Clayton   Arranger
David Rubinson   Composer
Johnny Mercer   Composer
Scott Wittman   Composer
Peggy Lee   Composer
Jerry Hey   Arranger
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