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Cynthia Felton: Cynthia Felton Sings The Nancy Wilson Classics: Save Your Love For Me
By
Oscar Brown Jr.
vocals1926 - 2005

Duke Ellington
piano1899 - 1974

Nancy Wilson
vocals1937 - 2018
Felton's voice is pure and soulful so she's well-suited to walk in Wilson's territory. Five of the eleven numbers she put on the program were plucked from Nancy Wilson/Cannonball Adderley (Capitol, 1962), an album that most consider to be Wilson's masterpiece and many consider to be among the finest vocal works ever recorded. In covering such sacred material, Felton finds a good balance between respect and individuality; she doesn't ape Wilson, but she doesn't stray too far from her territory. The rest of the material, save for a brief, album-opening a cappella take on "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot," comes from Wilson's other '60s releases. All of it sparkles and shines in Felton's hands.
Felton has become quite adept at pairing players to songs and juxtaposing different ingredients and voices against her own. In some places, she pares things down and creates striking scenarios by working against a single element, be it

Jeff Tain Watts
drumsb.1960

Leon "Ndugu" Chancler
drums1952 - 2018
Carol Robbins
harp
Wallace Roney
trumpet1960 - 2020

Cyrus Chestnut
pianob.1963
All of the material presented here is pretty straightforward, but Felton's interpretive skills, her arrangements, and the variety in personnel from track to track all help to keep things interesting. On the whole, Dr. Cynthia Felton does a magnificent job celebrating Nancy Wilson, one of the greatest voices that jazz has ever known. ">
Track Listing
Swing Low, Sweet Chariot; The Old Country; Dearly Beloved; Save Your Love For Me; A Sleepin' Bee; Only The Young; West Coast Blues; Guess Who I Saw Today; Never Will I Marry; (I'm Afraid) The Masquerade Is Over; I Wish You Love.
Personnel
Cynthia Felton
vocalsCynthia Felton: vocals; Donald Brown: piano (2); Cyrus Chestnut: piano (3); Patrice Rushen: piano (4, 8); John Beasley: piano (5-7, 9-11); Robert Hurst: bass (2, 3); Tony Dumas: bass (4, 8); John B. Williams: bass (7, 11); Edwin Livingston: bass (5, 6, 9, 10); Jeff "Tain" Watts: drums (3); Terri Lynne Carrington: drums (4, 8); Yoron Israel: drums (2); Lorca Hart: drums (5-7, 9-11); Ernie Watts: tenor saxophone (10); Jeff Clayton: alto saxophone (4, 7); Wallace Roney: trumpet (2); Nolan Shaheed: trumpet (6); Ndugu Chancler: vibraphone (5); Munyoungo Jackson: percussion (11); Carol Robbins: harp (8); Ronald Mudrow: guitar (2, 7, 11).
Album information
Title: Cynthia Felton Sings The Nancy Wilson Classics: Save Your Love For Me | Year Released: 2014 | Record Label: Self Produced
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