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Traincha w/ Metropole Orchestra: This Girl's In Love: Burt Bacharach Songbook
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The 1960s were Bacharach's purple period, but he's continued to write, and have hits, in the decades since. In 1998, he teamed up with singer and lyricist Elvis Costello for the well received Painted From Memory (Mercury). In 2009, now an octogenarian, Bacharach has given his blessing to Dutch singer Traincha's This Girl's In Loveactually drawn from two separate albums released in Holland in the last few yearsplaying piano on three tunes and contributing a new one, "Who'll Speak For Love."
The earliest of the 18 songs covered on This Girl's In Love are "Waiting For Charlie (To Come Home)," a hit for Etta James in 1962, and "Don't Make Me Over," an even bigger hit for his soon-to-be vocal muse, Dionne Warwick, later that same year. There's a choice selection of other classics"The Look Of Love," "I'll Never Fall In Love Again," "Walk On By," "I Say A Little Prayer," "What The World Needs Now" and another half dozen prime cuts including, of course, the title trackand the chronology continues up to "God Give Me Strength," from the Costello album, and the aforementioned "Who'll Speak For Love."
Despite the fact that This Girl's In Love is on Blue Note, Traincha (born Trijntje Oosterhuis) isn't a jazz singer and the Metropole Orchestra isn't a jazz band. The arrangements, by Patrick Williams and Vince Mendoza, are mellifluous and musicianly, with the vocals right up front; closer to the tradition of big band-with-singer (and in this case a lot of strings) that was a not so distant relation of jazz from the 1930s through the 1950s.
And for all the above we can be grateful. For what shines through here are Bacharach's melodies and David's lyrics, sung and played as the composers originally intendedun-restructured and through-composed. Some of the songs are poignant, some are bittersweeta few, like "Waiting For Charlie (To Come Home"), are downright desolatebut the abiding ambiance is upbeat and optimistic. Love is the constant lyric concern, and the word "love" itself crops up in five of the titles (six if you include its unspoken presence in "What The World Needs Now"). It's music designed spread a little joy, and it does.
Track Listing
Do You Know The Way To San Jose; The Look of Love; I'll Never Fall In Love Again; This Girl's In Love; A House Is Not A Home; Don't Make Me Over; Anyone Who Had A Heart; Love Is Still The Answer; Walk On By; Waiting For Charlie (To Come Home); Alfie; This House Is Empty Now; Who'll Speak For Love; I Say A Little Prayer; They Long To Be (Close To You); Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head; God Give Me Strength; What The World Needs Now.
Personnel
Traincha: vocals; Burt Bacharach: piano (10, 12, 13); Toots Thielemans: harmonica (13); Hans Vroomans: piano; Ruud Breuls: flugelhorn; Peter Tiehuis: guitar; Aran Kersbergen: bass; Martjin Vink: drums; Metropole Orchestra, conducted by Vince Mendoza.
Album information
Title: This Girl's In Love: Burt Bacharach Songbook | Year Released: 2009 | Record Label: Blue Note Records