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| Never-Before Released Diana Ross Album Starbucks Hear Music and Motown/UMe announced the debut of Blue, a never-issued Diana Ross album of jazz standards recorded around the time of her triumph in Lady Sings the Blues. Recently, these archival recordings were discovered in the Motown vault. The resulting album marks the long-overdue debut of what David Ritz, esteemed author and writer of the album's liner notes, calls "some of the most emotionally satisfying music Ross has ever made." The album will be released exclusively at Starbucks Company-operated locations in the U.S. and Canada on May 16, 2006, for a period of five weeks and will become widely available at traditional retail beginning on June 20, 2006. Recorded in late 1971 and early 1972, the album that is now being released as Blue was originally envisioned as a companion to the No. 1 soundtrack LP to Lady Sings the Blues, a box office hit that earned an Academy Award nomination in the Best Actress category for Ross. Blue was produced, arranged and conducted by Gil Askey, who did the same for the Lady Sings the Blues soundtrack and who had conducted Supremes shows in the past and would conduct Ross' solo shows in the future. Blue includes all twelve of the original tracks -- all of which are previously unreleased, plus four bonus cuts from the recording sessions that took place in late 1971 and early 1972. However, perhaps because the tracks were considered too jazzy, and as a result of Ross delving so deeply into her film portrayal of Billie Holiday, a decision was made to return Ross to pop music. In 1973, she did just that and "Touch Me in the Morning" shot to #1. Blue never saw the light of day. "Diana Ross is a legendary performer who has been inspiring popular music for decades. The release of Blue represents a significant moment in her career and in the history of jazz, " said Ken Lombard, president of Starbucks Entertainment. "Starbucks is honored to collaborate with Motown/UMe to offer our millions of customers the first opportunity to discover these magnificent, long-awaited recordings." Blue premieres Ross's renditions of Cole Porter's "Let's Do It, " the Gershwins' "I Loves Ya Porgy, " and Johnny Burke and Jimmy Van Heusen's "But Beautiful" as well as "What A Diff'rence A Day Makes, " "No More, " "Had You Been Around" and "Can't Get Started With You." ("Had You Been Around, " the album's lone Motown original, is performed by Michelle Allar in Lady Sings The Blues.) Also debuting are bonus tracks "Easy Living, " "He's Funny That Way" and Duke Ellington's "Solitude." Each of these tracks had been recorded during the soundtrack sessions but was left out of the film and off the soundtrack album. Blue's "You've Changed, " "My Man (Mon Homme), " the Gershwins' "Love Is Here to Stay" and the fourth bonus track, "T'Ain't Nobody's Bizness If I Do, " were heard in alternate versions on the Lady Sings The Blues soundtrack album. Rodgers & Hart's "Little Girl Blue" and Charlie Chaplin's "Smile" would later appear in alternate versions on 1973's Touch Me In The Morning and 1976's Diana Ross, respectively. The release of Blue completes, finally, an important chapter in the career of one of the most popular singers in the history of popular music. write your comments about the article :: © 2006 Jazz News :: home page |