VERVE REMIXED 4
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1. Dinah Washington: "Cry Me A River" (Truth
& Soul Remix)
2. Nina Simone: "Gimme Some" (Mike
Mangini Remix)
3. James Brown: "There Was A Time" (Kenny
Dope Remix)
4. Marlena Shaw: "California Soul" (Diplo/Mad
Decent Remix)
5. Nina Simone: "Take Care Of Business" (Pilooski
Remix)
6. Astrud Gilberto: "Bim Bom" (Psapp Remix)
7. Anita O' Day: "Tenderly" (Mocky
Remix)
8. Sarah Vaughan: "Tea For Two" (Chris Shaw
Remix)
9. Patato & Totico: "Dilo Como Yo" (Antibalas
Remix)
10. Willie Bobo: "Evil Ways" (Karriem Riggins
Remix)
11. Roy Ayers: "Everybody Loves The Sunshine"
(9th Wonder Remix)
12. Ella Fitzgerald: "I Get A Kick
Out Of You" (Cinematic Orchestra Remix)
VERVE UNMIXED 4
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1. Dinah Washington: "Cry Me A River"
2. Nina Simone: "Gimme Some"
3. James Brown: "There Was A Time"
4. Marlena Shaw: "California Soul"
5. Nina Simone: "Take Care Of Business"
6. Astrud Gilberto: "Bim Bom"
7. Anita O' Day: "Tenderly"
8. Sarah Vaughan: "Tea For Two"
9. Patato & Totico: "Dilo Como Yo"
10. Willie Bobo: "Evil Ways"
11. Roy Ayers: "Everybody Loves The Sunshine"
12. Ella Fitzgerald: "I Get A Kick
Out Of You"
For many years, record producers
have used technology (that is, the technological
devices available to them at the time) to
change recordings - usually trying to change
them for the better by improving sound quality,
etc. However, since the 1960s, a new breed
has arisen which messes about with recordings,
usually to make them more suitable for the
dance-floor. Such "remixers" (often called
"DJs") alter recordings by removing parts
of them; changing such things as tempo and
pitch; and adding extra things - usually synthesised
sounds. This process is often portrayed as
creative but here's an example where the remixers
are mere parasites making changes to recordings
which are perfectly all right as they are.
In the wise old phrase, "If it ain't broke,
don't fix it".
Nonetheless the remixers
here interfere with a dozen tracks (mostly
vocal jazz) for the fourth edition in the
"Verve Remixed" series. You can hear what
the original tracks sounded like on Verve
Unmixed 4. The album opens with Dinah
Washington's very individualistic version
of Cry Me a River: extremely different
from the classic Julie London interpretation.
The remix adds a weird noise at the start
and over-emphasises the bass, but otherwise
makes little change in the original. Nina
Simone's Gimme Some has an added lumpy
bass drum but, again, there is little sign
of any creative change. And James Brown's
There Was a Time is given an unnecessary
boogaloo beat by the aptly-named Kenny Dope.
The next two tracks are subjected
respectively to the addition of ethereal echo
and unsubtly thumping rhythm. Astrid Gilberto's
repetitive Bim Bom is rendered even
more repetitive and loses most of the lyrics.
Tenderly submerges Anita O'Day's glorious
voice beneath a mass of extraneous material,
while Sarah Vaughan's Tea For Two gets
lots of added echo, for no good reason. Willie
Bobo's Evil Ways is dislocated by some
poorly synchronised extra rhythm imposed on
an already rhythmic tune, and the following
Roy Ayers track suffers a similar fate. Last
- and almost certainly worst - the remixer
replaces the excellent piano which accompanied
Ella Fitzgerald's lovely original. Instead
we get some unimaginative guitar and superfluous
echo.
Again and again through Verve
Remixed, I am moved to ask "Why? - wondering
if there is any justification for this tinkering
which makes no improvement to any of the original
recordings. Instead, the remixes obscure most
of the features which made the originals listenable.
So my advice would be that, if you want to
hear these tracks, get Verve Unmixed
rather than its pretentious, over-produced
brother. Even this has its drawbacks, as Verve
Umixed contains only around 36 minutes
of music.
Tony Augarde
CD Reviews
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