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Copyright © 2009, Dutch Jazz Orchestra. All rights reserved.
Los Angeles Times review 'You Go to My Head'
Los Angeles Times (http://www.latimes.com/) Sunday, April 28, 2002 ALBUM REVIEWS By HOWARD REICH
***1/2 THE DUTCH JAZZ ORCHESTRA “Strayhorn and Standards: You Go to My Head” Challenge
The full measure of composer Billy Strayhorn’s genius has yet to be taken, but this radiant recording can only deepen one’s appreciation for his gifts. Surveying Strayhorn orchestrations of standard tunes, the Dutch Jazz Orchestra unfurls one revelatory reading after another, from the shimmering horns of “Autumn in New York” to the sumptuous colors of “Where or When” (with Marjorie Barnes’ exquisitely tasteful vocals). Exactly how Strayhorn attained such ethereal, translucent orchestral effects in “The Man I Love” or conveyed such profound blues expression in “I Don’t Stand a Ghost of a Chance” will be debated for a long time. Yet perhaps it’s sufficient simply to savor his achievements, as in the extraordinary sensuality on “You Go to My Head” and the glistening instrumental details on “I’ll Buy That Dream.” All of these tunes are idiomatically performed by the Dutch Jazz Orchestra, which, under the alert direction of Jerry Van Rooijen, is among the most accomplished large jazz ensembles.
Howard Reich is jazz critic at the Chicago Tribune, a Tribune company.
