NAIMA SANG

Naima-

I finally spent quality time with “From My Heart to Yours” and “A Blossom Sings,” the albums you mailed me weeks ago. I planned to experience the albums sooner, but some unexpected things surfaced so I had to alter my plans. I listened to the albums damn near everyday last week. Today I re-listened to “A Blossom Sins” again. I lost count of how many times I’ve played the album. Of the two, “A Blossom Sings was my favorite. it was love at first sight. I think about the album nonstop.Each time I played the albums made me feel like a hopeless romantic. Naima, I liked “A Blossom Sings” more than any jazz vocalist’s album I’ve experienced recently. I know you released “A Blossom Sings” seven years ago, but it felt brand new to me. Regularly, I receive albums from jazz vocalists. Most of the albums are dull. “A Blossom Sings” qualifies as a classic. Your rendition of “Hello Like Before” engaged me as much as Nancy Wilson’s version. Wilson used to be my favorite jazz vocalists, but you replaced her. You're in the same league as vocalist Sarah Vaughan, Carmen McCrae, and Helen Humes. Naima let me know if I’m getting carried away. You possess that much talent and you belong in the same league as those vocalists. Your voice soothed me. On “You and Me Against" the World” and “Tristee,” you had this different way of scatting.It sound more like you were chanting, and you converted your voice into an instrument.

Your voice is made for love songs. You gave special attention to each lyric. “Sand of Love” I wanted to curl up with a warm blanket and listen to you sing. Because “A Blossom Sings” was released seven years ago, I can’t include it on my top ten albums of 2009. Naima, it was the best albums by a jazz vocalist I’ve listened to lately.

Charles