| RECORDINGS |
|
| LABEL: |
WARNER
ALLIANCE/WORD RECORDS |
| CATALOG
NUMBER: |
26980 |
| UPC
NUMBER: |
075992698023 |
| NUMBER OF DISCS: |
1 |
| RUNNING TIME: |
75:42 |
| YEAR
RECORDED: |
1992 |
| CD
RELEASE DATE: |
SEPTEMBER
29, 1992 |
| CONDUCTOR: |
QUINCY
JONES |
| ORCHESTRA: |
UNKNOWN |
| CHOIR: |
UNKNOWN |
| SOPRANO: |
VARIOUS |
| CONTRALTO: |
VARIOUS |
| TENOR: |
VARIOUS |
| BASS: |
VARIOUS |
|
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DISC ONE
1 Overture: A Partial History of
Black Music
5:13
2 Comfort Ye My People
(Armstrong, Vanessa Bell, Daryl Coley)
5:47
3 Every Valley Shall Be Exalted
(Lizz Lee, Chris
Willis) 3:42
4 And the Glory of the Lord
(Dianne Reeves)
3:56
5 But Who May Abide the Day of His Coming?
(Patti Austin)
6:40
6 And He Shall Purify
(Tramaine Hawkins) 4:36
7 Behold, A Virgin Shall Conceive
(Howard Hewett)
3:58
8 O Thou That Tellest Good Tidings to Zion
(Stevie Wonder, Take 6)
3:53
9 For Unto Us a Child Is Born
(Sounds of Blackness)
3:52
10 Glory to God (Boys
Choir of Harlem, Michelle Weeks)
4:53
11 Rejoice Greatly, O Daughter of Zion
(Smallwood, Richard
Singers) 5:10
12 Behold, The Lamb of God [instrumental]
(Yellowjackets)
4:35
13 Lift Up Your Heads, O Ye Gates
(Clark Sisters,
Commissioned) 5:13
14 Why Do the Nations So Furiously Rage?
(Al Jarreau)
2:39
15 I Know That My Redeemer Liveth
(Tevin Campbell)
6:00
16 Hallelujah! (Quincy
Jones) 5:53
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SITE RATING: 9/10
SITE
REVIEW: Whereas
certain Messiah
reimaginings can leave me cold (see the
cynical, reprehensible Messiah Rocks!)
this 1992 R&B recasting by pop impresario
Quincy Jones, helped along by a stable of hot
artists (Stevie Wonder, Patti Austin, Take 6,
Al Jarreau) tackle Handel's
two-hundred-and-fifty-year-old Italianate
oratorio, and manage to infuse it with not
only joy, but a huge amount of musical variety
and humor. From the "A Partial History
of Black Music" which blends spirituals,
ragtime, R&B and more into it's brief
introduction, to the fantastic vocal runs and
call-and-response and new-jack-swing blend
found in every track, left me breathless by
the musical virtuousity on display.
There's also reggae, African, and Motown
grooves to be found here, but the text and
musical heart of each movement is kept intact
- a miracle considering the diverse talents
involved. It's a credit to Quincy Jones
own paticular brand of genius that despite the
wide net cast, everything maintains a unified
whole, and if it all occasionally devolves
into a rapturous call-and-reponse jam at
times, it's all tightly controlled, and
sparkling, and professional. The only reason
this recording doesn't rate higher with me is
the dated nature of the arrangements - the
programmed synthesizers and drum loops are
very much of their times, but the joy and,
yes, even reverence which is shown to the
material makes this one of my favorite
non-traditional Messiahs.
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