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Abbey Lincoln, born in Chicago in 1930, was a jazz vocalist and songwriter, who also became an actress and civil rights activist during the 1960s, and was married to renowned jazz drummer Max Roach. Greatly influenced by Billie Holiday, her stock-in-trade was the delivery of heartfelt versions of classic standards, as well as seamlessly interpolating her vocals into extended jazz improvisations. Scott Yanow at allmusic.com calls her “A dramatic performer whose interpretations were full of truth and insight – she always meant the lyrics she sang”. This 53-track collection features all the titles from albums at the start of her career, “A Story of A Girl In Love” on Liberty, “That’s Him”, “It’s Magic” and “Abbey Is Blue” on Riverside, “Straight Ahead” on Candid, and selected titles from the Max Roach albums “Moon-faced And Starry-eyed” on Mercury, and “Percussion Bitter Sweet” on Impulse. It features recordings with some of the noted jazz musicians of the era, including The Benny Carter Orchestra, and in the small groups, Kenny Dorham, Sonny Rollins, Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers, Max Roach, Benny Golson, Philly Joe Jones, Stanley Turrentine, Ray Bryant, Booker Little, Eric Dolphy and others. She was a highly distinctive song stylist and this is an enlightening and enjoyable showcase for an artist who is sometimes referred to as the last of the great jazz singers.
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