GRETCHEN RICHIE...JAZZ CABARET: Close Your Eyes

Gretchen Richie...Jazz Cabaret

Close Your Eyes

© 2001 Gretchen Richie...Jazz Cabaret (783707315928)

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AN EXQUISITE COLLECTION OF ROMANTIC TUNES SUNG WITH COMPELLING HEART AND SOUL... "It's not hard to imagine Richie silencing the room with her unforced delivery and first-rate repertoire." --Mike Joyce, The Washington Post, July 2002

tracks

1 I Remember You
2 Fools Rush In
3 Close Your Eyes
4 But Not For Me
5 A Foggy Day
6 Nice 'n' Easy
7 You Go To My Head
8 I Was A Little Too Lonely
9 In The Wee Small Hours
10 I Thought About You
11 Nobody's Heart
12 As Long As I Live
13 Let's Fall In Love
14 Little Girl Blue

notes

ABOUT GRETCHEN:

Performing in the Washington, DC area since the late-1980s, and in California before that, Gretchen began her professional career at age 14 singing in a rock group. This led to song-writing, solo performing, and musical theater. In theater she reconnected with the music of her childhood years - the great popular standard. Made famous by such greats as Nat King Cole, Sinatra and Rosemary Clooney, this is the music she performs today. Forgoing the usual vocal inflections of be-bop or pop, she brings a fresh, understated and authentic presence to her material.

ABOUT THE CD:

Released in 2001, Close Your Eyes has received an enthusiastic reception. The recording features relaxed, polished arrangements and Gretchen's warm, melodic voice. Her deeply personal interpretations find the heart in this collection of swinging and romantic tunes.

REVIEWS:

"Gretchen Richie brings the full force of her considerable talent and intelligence to her vocals; her voice can be velvet or brass, a whisper or a lament, depending on the mood of the song."
-Pat Ullberg, The Calvert Recorder, April 2003

REVIEW BY MIKE JOYCE FOR THE WASHINGTON POST:
"When it comes to selling a song, Gretchen Richie isn't the sort of vocalist who goes all out. The title of one of the many vintage pop standards included on her latest CD pretty much sums up the tone of her sales pitch: "Nice'n'Easy".

Quietly carving out a niche between cabaret and jazz, Richie sounds perfectly content to let a composer's work speak for itself. Her interpretations are free of glib embellishments or melismatic flourishes, and the inclusion of some seldom heard verses further underscore Richie's intention to give songwriters their due. She's joined by three like-minded musicians-pianist (and husband) Randy Richie, bassist Bill Hones, and drummer Howard Kadison-who tunefully commute between uncluttered swing ("Let's Fall in Love" and "Close Your Eyes") and dreamy balladry ("You Go to My Head" and "Fools Rush In"). In between these stops, Richie and company pause to conjure darker moods with soulful reprises of "But Not for Me", "In the Wee Small Hours" and "Nobody's Heart," each rendered, again, without fuss or muss.

It's not hard to imagine Richie performing these songs for a clucking brunch crowd and nearly silencing the room with her unforced delivery and first-rate repertoire. No doubt many listeners will be reminded of more distinctive and artful interpretations as Richie moves through her songbook, but no matter. These recitals have a charm of their own."
-Mike Joyce, The Washington Post, July 2002

"Gretchen really knows how to sing a torch song and she can really swing as well. She had the audience in the palm of her hand. One word described her performance: sublime."
-Fred Suss, V.P. Entertainment, P.G.I., February 2002

"Gretchen is different and refreshing..."
-Jamal Muhammad, WPFW-FM, February 2002

"What this great band is doing, guided by Gretchen's beautiful voice, is preserving for all of us some of the greatest songs ever written, and for that we should all be thankful."
-Constance McGillicutty, Music Monthly, January 2002

"Her CD is absolutely marvelous. After I played it on the air several listeners called asking, 'Who is THAT?' Makes for some wonderful listening. I'll play her again...and again!"
-Donnie McKethan, WPFW-FM, December 2001

"Gretchen demonstrates wide vocal range, sauciness and proves her ability to conquer difficult songs... Her voice is sweet, clear and unpretentious...(she) sings as if she is experiencing every word."
-Diane Gibbs, Old Town Crier, December 2001

"Gretchen's heartfelt evocation of the Great American Songbook instantly transports one to that place where Gershwin and Porter set the agenda, and everything is love and lush and let's face the music and dance. She enthralled the crowded room."
-Dave Nuttycombe, WashingtonCityPaper.com, November 2001

"Gretchen Richie has a sweet loving voice...Good stuff all around so kick back and enjoy yourself."
-Larry Wollin, Music Monthly, August 2001

"Richie's sense of phrasing, polished arrangements and personal interpretation reestablishes the romance, excitement and heart of popular song."
-The Enterprise, March 23, 2001

"(Gretchen's) unaffected manner gives listeners the feeling she is singing to them and them alone."
-Jay Friess, The Enterprise, Dec. 22, 2000

reviews

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  • Close Your Eyes
    author: RosalieAnn Beasley

    My husband is a fan of Gretchens and I get him the CD for Father's Day. He already has her other on.

  • Gretchen Richie's take on the songs is warm, wise and wonderful.
    author: Robert Aldridge

    Gretchen's entry with I Remember You makes you her friend. After you gently fall for her in Nice and Easy you learn not to take her for granted with I was a little too Lonely and get her back again in Lets Fall in Love. Throughout the CD there is a feeling of warmth and sincerity. I loved it.

  • author: Marcia Custer

    Close Your Eyes is so soft, silky and sexy. I have it playing on my office phone so when I put a caller on hold, they hear it and they tell me they enjoy the wait. I love singning along with it!

  • author: stan and bette scher

    A warm and refreshing approach to the lyrics, rhythm, and dynamics of each selection, whether it's a romantic and nostalgic tune or a swinging number.Together, Gretchen and the group display incredible versatility and an unforgettable sound that's worth hearing over and over again. The combined vocals and musicianship are tops.

  • Great interpretation of classic standards
    author: Jim

    Excellent arrangements of classic standards flawlessly interpreted by true jazz professionals...it swings!

  • Every track a winner! You'll wear this one out.
    author: Sue Allison

    Read the list of selections and you'll know right off the bat that this artist has impeccable taste in music. If you don't know these tunes yet - trust me! Gretchen really swings on every track. She never strays too far from the original lyrics and melodies, so it's perfect for all of us car/shower jazz vocalist wanna-be's. Her husband Randy really knows how to soothe the soul on the piano. Listen for his delightful surprise at the end of "A Foggy Day". This is a wonderful gift for everyone on your list - you don't have to be a hard core jazz fan to appreciate this marvelous collection of classic standards.

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