Mojo (Publisher) (1/04, p.102) - 5 stars out of 5 - "His gentle vocal undulations and refined vibrato managing to squeeze every last drop of emotion from standards such as 'The Shadow Of Your Smile' and 'Cry Me A River'."
Mojo (Publisher) (1/04, p.102) - 5 stars out of 5 - "His gentle vocal undulations and refined vibrato managing to squeeze every last drop of emotion from standards such as 'The Shadow Of Your Smile' and 'Cry Me A River'."
This is a DVD-Audio disc. The DVD-Audio content can only be read by a DVD-Audio player. The Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS audio tracks provided on this disc will play on a standard DVD player.
Possessing the kind of angelic phrasing that belies his stocky frame, Aaron Neville's natural instrument fits hand-in-glove with the material on NATURE BOY: THE STANDARDS ALBUM. For the revered vocalist's Verve Records debut, producer/arranger/conductor Rob Mounsey played all manner of keyboards and piano on this set of songs and ended up recruiting the stellar rhythm section of bassist Ron Carter and drummer Grady Tate to hold down the bottom end.
Equally impressive is the raft of top-shelf guests, whose ranks include trumpeter Roy Hargrove, reedman Michael Brecker, and Neville sibling Charles on tenor saxophone. Of course, Neville's ability to handle the classics is at the heart of this recording. Not surprisingly, the Louisiana native excels, whether he's floating above the Eden Ahbez-penned title cut, riding Cole Porter's "In the Still of the Night" as a subtle samba, or giving the Irish favorite "Danny Boy" an ethereal embrace. There's even a musical reunion with longtime friend and supporter Linda Ronstadt on a reading of "The Very Thought of You," which evokes images of a smoky bar in the wee hours of the morning and is enhanced by Hargrove's subtle yet sweet flugelhorn solo.
DVD Features:
Region 0
Super Jewel Case
Audio:
24 Bit/96 Khz PCM Stereo - English
24 Bit/48 Khz Dolby Digital 5.1 - English
Additional Release Material:
Production Interview - 1. Aaron Neville - Star
Text/Photo Galleries:
Artist Photos
Biographies - 1. Aaron Neville - Star