TERESA BREWER — Live At Carnegie Hall & Montreaux, Switzerland (2001) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Two previously unissued live concerts from 1978 and 1983 find Teresa in rare form, singing and swinging in front of big bands simply top-heavy with great players. Kicking off with a duet with Dizzy Gillespie on "It Don't Mean a Thing" (where Dizzy plays a Jew's harp funkier than any electronic gizmo you can think of), Brewer puts the torch to tunes like "After You've Gone," "St. Louis Blues," and a smoky medley of "It Had to Be You" and "I've Got a Crush on You." The Montreux set repeats many of the same tunes, but with Clark Terry in the fold, Teresa is recharged, and the different interpretations make for very interesting comparisons. Anyone who wants to file Brewer in the "pop singer" category only needs to hear her sink her formidable chops into this material with a hot band kicking behind her. Cub Koda

Tracklist :
1    It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)    3:54
Duke Ellington / Irving Mills
2    Breakin' Up Is Hard To Do    3:32
Howard Greenfield / Neil Sedaka
3    St. Louis Blues    3:14
W.C. Handy
4    After You've Gone    4:12
Henry Creamer / Turner Layton
5    Medley: It Had To Be You / I've Got A Crush On You    4:07
George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin / Isham Jones / Gus Kahn
6    Romance In The Dark    3:49
Lillian "Lil" Green
7    Mood Indigo    4:53
Barney Bigard / Duke Ellington / Irving Mills
8    Some Songs    3:52
Dennis Linde
9    That's When The Music Takes Me    3:20
Neil Sedaka
10    Medley: I Ain't Got Nobody / Baby Won't You Please Come Home    5:29
Roger Graham / Charles Warfield / Clarence Williams / Spencer Williams
11    Fats Waller Medley: We Love You Fats / Ain't Misbehavin' / Find Out What They Like / The Joint Is Jumpin'    6:22
Teresa Brewer / Harry Brooks / J.C. Johnson / Frank Owens / Andy Razaf / Bob Thiele / Fats Waller
12    Come On And Drive Me Crazy    3:30
Teresa Brewer
13    It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)    4:01
Duke Ellington / Irving Mills
14    Mood Indigo    4:27
Barney Bigard / Duke Ellington / Irving Mills
15    St. Louis Blues    3:34
W.C. Handy
16    New Orleans    5:47
Frank Guida
Personnel Includes :
Teresa Brewer - Vocals
Dizzy Gillespie - Vocals, Jews Harp
Cootie Williams, Clark Terry - Trumpet
Bucky Pizzarelli - Acoustic Guitar
Hiram Bullock - Electric Guitar
Derek Smith, Patrick Coil - Piano