Teraesa Vinson
Opportunity Please Knock
© 2004 Amplified Records (783707968629)
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A notable debut from jazz vocalist Teraesa Vinson. At time swinging, at times reflective--smooth vocals supported by some of the best in the business. Features a beautiful arrangement of Bonnie Raitt's "I Can't Make You Love Me".
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A debut recording is an exciting opportunity for music lovers-the chance to discover a talent for the first time. Teraesa Vinson's first recording effort, Opportunity Please Knock, offers a glimpse of a promising future. The collection's combination of well-loved choices from the Great American Songbook, along with a dash of lesser-known tunes and beautiful rendition of a pop standard, will give new audiences a treat.
Recorded April 4, 5, and May 24, 2004 at Eastside Sound in New York City, this debut album captures the St. Louis native's lush, vintage voice in tandem with exceptional bandmates. Ron Blake (saxophone), Tom Dempsey (guitar), Carlton Holmes (piano), Dion Parson (drums), and Nicki Parrott (bass), all first class talents and standards on the New York jazz scene, offer a fertile and supportive environment for Vinson's first foray into the recording experience.
Opportunity Please Knock introduces Vinson's knack for song selection, featuring tunes that showcase her velvet voice and arrangements that combine her respect of jazz tradition with the desire to try something new. An example is her version of "The Way You Look Tonight"-classically done as a simple guitar duet, while also injecting newness by treating it as a waltz. A certain standout is her moving rendition of "I Can't Make You Love Me," a pop standard made famous by Bonnie Raitt in the 1990's. The title track-Oscar Brown Jr.'s commentary on the civil rights struggle-is both true to the original and injected with Vinson's own personal touch.
Compared at times to Lorez Alexandria or an early Helen Humes, Vinson seemed unsure of who she most closely resembles. "People say I have a 'vintage-sounding' voice, but I don't think I sound like anyone in particular. I think that as a musician you look for guidance and inspiration from great musicians, but along the way you find your own voice. I'm excited that through this recording many people will be able to hear me for the first time."
*For New Yorkers: Teraesa Vinson is currently playing on Saturday nights with the Quincy Davis Trio at Langans in Times Square (150 W47th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues).
reviews
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Great Voice, Great in-club feel
author: RobertThis Cd was as good as I hoped. It has a kind of tone that brings you sweetly down into a relaxed and warm club atmosphere.
Amazing!
author: BFI've waited a long time to find a living jazz singer that had a great quality voice with depth. Thank goodness Teraesa Vinson put out this cd! This is a great cd!
Thanks CD baby for pointing this CD out to me.
author: Maureen KraemerI just love this woman's voice. Clearly one of my favorite CD's
This is a great CD and I'm glad CDBaby found it for me
author: MaryAn impressive debut
author: Tom IneckTeraesa Vinson’s voice is not huge, but what it lacks in sheer power and authority, she more than makes up with a sure sense of dynamics, rhythmic nuance and the kind of emotional connection that transcends mere technique. Vinson’s impressive debut as a recording artist…is a coming-out that demands attention, not for in-your-face audacity but rather for its subtle romanticism and impeccable taste.
- author: Jazzreview.com
In her eponymous Opportunity Please Knock, Teraesa Vinson has released a mainly intimate affair with small swinging combos that amply display her velvety cool vocals, versatility and carefree sophistication....certain to open up doors.
Splendid
author: Cam Miller, American RagIn a field already crowded with an abundance of talent….it’s imperative that when a new jazz songbird comes on the scene, she’d better be the real goods. Teraesa Vinson is. Blessed with a warm, rich voice that can be downright sexy and an abiding respect for both melody and lyrics, Vinson is in a position to make it big….In short, the disc is a splendid introduction to a splendid young vocalist.
Great Disc!
author: DeepageExcellent voice, great music choice, fabulous musicians, solid production - what's not to like?
Excellent
author: SJJ'ai commandé cet album sur un coup de coeur et à l'écoute il s'est confirmé. Superbe voix, interprétation talentueuse Toutes les chansons de cet opus concourent à passer un agréable moment de jazz. Magnifique. Vivement le prochain ....
A Memorable Recording Debut
author: Joe Lang, Jersey JazzThere are not many jazz singers with a Ph.D. in Psychology, but that is the case with Teraesa Vinson. Her debut album, "Opportunity Please Knock"...is an impressive start to what should be a successful transfer from academia to the world of music. Vinson’s rich and supple voice is complemented by her intelligent sense of how to phrase the lyrics to each of the 11 selections...Her supporting cast of Ron Blake on tenor sax, Carlton Holmes on piano, Tom Dempsey on guitar, Nicki Parrott on bass and Dion Parson on drums provides Vinson with a musical basis for this the opportunity to knock us out with a memorable recording debut, an opportunity that she seizes with relish.
beautiful voice!
author: Roland Bowmanbeautiful voice! enjoyed the old songs.
- author: Tamara Turner, CD Baby
Teraesa's voice of supple, buttery elegance carries this album from start to finish with the most gentle push, a whispering rush of wind that buoys the ringing piano lines, backbone bass lines and shuffling percussion. With the pure, smoky genius of Ella Fitzgerald and the poignancy of Billie Holiday, this woman is making her mark among the cream of the crop and it's no surprise as to why. Phrases are rounded and directed with conviction, riding on the wings of her emotionally-engaged investment in creating an experience, not just a sound. A brilliant vocal jazz album not to be missed.