"Abbey Is Blue" is the fourth album by American jazz vocalist Abbey Lincoln featuring songs that were recorded in 1959. The album has a melancholy ("BLUE") that may very well be a symbolism of the tumultuous America at the time. All this makes it essential among the most definitive work of this artist.
Her relevance is as an creative who intelligently uses all facets of her artistry to fully deliver the message. Ms. Abbey Lincoln was essentially a poetic vocalist, who expressed the significance of the lyrics through her phraseology. Rather than over-singing, she was a distinctive vocalist who sang in a melodically controlled manner.
The album consists of a particularly strong set of songs by an impressive roster of composers: (1) "Afro Blue" by the wonderful Mongo Santamaría, (2) Legendary Harlem Renaissance poet Langston Hughes "Lonely House", (3) Ms. Abbey Lincoln "Let Up," (5) the wonderfully provocative vocalist Oscar Brown "Brother, Where Are You?" & (10) "Long as You're Living," (7) the revered jazz great Duke Ellington "Come Sunday," and (8) Oscar Hammerstein II "Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise."
"Afro Blue" (Mongo Santamaría) - 3:20 "Lonely House" (Langston Hughes, Kurt Weill) - 3:40 "Let Up" (Abbey Lincoln) - 5:32 "Thursday's Child" (Elisse Boyd, Murray Grand) - 3:31 "Brother, Where Are You?" (Oscar Brown) - 3:10 "Laugh, Clown, Laugh" (Ted Fio Rito, Sam M. Lewis, Joe Young) - 5:24 "Come Sunday" (Duke Ellington) - 5:13 "Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise" (Oscar Hammerstein II, Sigmund Romberg) - 2:46 "Lost in the Stars" (Maxwell Anderson, Kurt Weill) - 4:11 "Long as You're Living" (Oscar Brown, Julian Priester, Tommy Turrentine)
PRIME Abbey Lincoln with two good bands, though a few cuts are a bit dated. A unique singer at the height of her technical powers and the beginning of her legendary genius as a writer and interpreter.