Music of the Century

'Barbie Anaka is a jazz vocalist well on her way to earning national recognition.' -Cedric James, radio host KWJZ, 98.9 'Smooth Jazz' ---------------- REVIEWED BY JENNIFER LAYTON, 4/02 This is moonlight over a quiet ocean. A romantic dinner by candlelight. Barbie Anaka is a more angelic Streisand with a sultry, resonant, rich voice that turns old-fashioned classic jazz into living magic. There's almost nothing else I can say about that voice - you just have to hear it. But what adds an element of quirkiness to the CD is her choice of cover songs. 'Take The L,' an 80s hit from the Motels, lends itself surprisingly well to smoky jazz. The saxophone and piano set the heartbroken mood beautifully. From there, I skipped ahead to hear 'On Broadway,' the track that turned out to be my favorite after I'd heard each blissful one. This version is done as a crooning, melancholy, rainy-night streetlamp ballad, and it is reason enough to buy the CD. Old school jazz fans will swoon for this. Romantics will dream to it. As a music lover who's a little of both, I got goose bumps. ---------------- Barbie Anaka with David Loy, Ballads Through the Night REVIEWED, INDIEMUSICREVIEW, 11/02 On Barbie Anaka with David Loy's 2002 release, Ballads Through the Night, one thing is certain-- this girl can sing! To follow up her recent album of original jazz/ pop songs, In Love with a Memory, Barbie chose to focus on her vocal performance rather than her songwriting talents. These twelve cover tunes give the singer plenty of room to do what she does best. Along with pianist David Loy and a few scattered players on several of the tracks, Barbie's voice expertly moves between sweet and smoky, tough and tender. On 'Sunny Skies' and 'You Taught My Heart to Sing' the singer rolls low into the melodies. Her rich vocal tones shine with unwavering beauty as she carefully pushes out every syllable. And it is all captured on this disc. The recording is so clean that you really need a hi-fi stereo to catch every nuance of this diva's spectacular performance. On her genre-crossing version of the Motels' new wave hit, 'Take the L,' Barbie gently tugs at the pop melody, twisting it into a hot jazz reincarnation. 'On Broadway' also takes an unusual twist from it's popular arrangement. Barbie steals the show on cuts like 'My Romance,' 'Cry Me a River,' and 'Love Me Still' by taking the listener to quiet, emotional places within the heart. But pianist David Loy makes some extra space for himself on 'You Don't Know What Love Is.' Although his delicate playing throughout this disc is near flawless, this time around he spins a brilliant, understated solo. Other players also make brief appearances on several of the cuts. Nathan Paul slips in some saxophone on 'Take the L' and 'These Foolish Things,' while bassist Douglas Barnett drops some low end into 'Higher Ground.' Barbie Anaka with David Loy's Ballads Through the Night uses sparse instrumentation to showcase the singer's extraordinary vocal abilities. Whether recreating jazz standards or retrofitting new wave hits, Barbie Anaka makes sweet music that compares favorably to the hottest voices of today. ----------------- REVIEW BELOW FROM WEEKEND ENVIRONMENTS.COM DECEMBER/JANUARY 2002 newsletter I just received a very pleasant gift in the mail as I was sitting down to write my music recommendations for this issue. I am sure that you all remember the stellar debut of Barbie Anaka's CD, 'In Love With A Memory.' I really enjoyed that recording playing it over and over. Now I am listening to her latest, 'Ballads Through the Night.' Being that I love Ballads, I guess that you can all imagine how much I am enjoying this disc. This is my third straight listen and when it is over I will listen to it again. This CD is very different from the first. With In Love With A Memory Barbie highlighted that she is a talented songwriter. That CD also had a little more of a pop/r&b influence. On this her latest CD she does not write a single song choosing to do her own versions of jazz and gospel standards. I am usually not a big fan of this approach but on this particular CD it really works well. They have chosen to use really sparse instrumentation and focus totally on the magic of Barbie's voice. I could not imagine a better vehicle to showcase the talent that this lovely lady possesses than in this incredible CD. You want sultry and seductive, powerful and inspiring, tender and romantic it is all here! Not that the instrumentation is not first rate. David Loy on piano is a great talent in his own right, as are Nathaniel Paul on sax, and Douglas Barnett on bass. Ballads Through the Night is mainly a jazz CD with two gospel-influenced tracks Higher Ground and Come to the River. My favorite track on the CD is Take the L although every track is worth a listen again and again. If you have not been enchanted in a while give this disc a listen. Barbie very well done! I was going to focus on one of the few rock musicians that I listen to Chris Rea who has recently released several import titles: 'King of the Beach,' 'The Blue Café,' and a total Blue's double CD 'Dancing down the Stony Road.' Maybe next time!