Blackbird

Katie Noonan - Blackbird, the Music of Lennon & Mc Cartney (2008) (REPOST)
Vocal/Jazz | MP3 | VBR 320kbps | 00:55:40 | 83 Mb

While there is a certain inevitability about all this, Noonan has at least stayed true to her roots: this is a jazz record, recorded in New York with a quintet of accomplished musicians. But your enjoyment of this album will depend largely on two factors: your own fatigue with the endless array of covers albums being churned out of late, and the high regard for which you hold the songs of The Beatles. If you're a Beatles nut, and the thought of hearing meandering, jazz-noodley versions of songs like In My Life and Eleanor Rigby makes you feel like you've been rapped in the face, best to steer clear. For those capable of listening without prejudice, Blackbird slowly reveals itself to be a warm, lush record, albeit one where the songs are sometimes stretched to breaking point (interminable eight-minute version of Fool On The Hill, I'm looking at you).

Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr. are founding members and lead singers of the original 5th Dimension. Marilyn & Billy left the group and won a Grammy award, which is among their collection of seven Grammy wins, with an even greater number of nominations. Billy Davis, Jr. has continued to attract attention as a soloist and a duo partner with his wife, Marilyn McCoo. Although Marilyn & Billy tour regularly, BLACKBIRD: LENNON-MCCARTNEY ICONS is their first major studio album in three decades, and it is inspired by the turbulent and tragic experiences of lives lost in the ongoing struggle for human rights and equality.