Tina May - Ladies in Mercedes (m - Steve Swallow / w - Norma Winstone)

Probably the best vocal version I've yet heard of Swallow's superb composition, at least on a par with the lovely and quite contrasting 1999 rendition by Norma Winstone, the song's lyricist, and pianist John Taylor (one for which I recently uploaded a video as well). Initially released on 1993's "Fun" and reissued as part of the 2004 TM compilation, "Early May," it features Dave Newton on piano, Dave Green on bass and Clark Tracey on drums.

Aside from images of the musicians, pretty much the same series of images has been employed for this video as for my upload of the aforementioned 1999 Winstone/Taylor version (adjusting, of course, for their contrasting pace and phrasing, as well as for some liberties taken by May with Winstone's words).

BTW, in case you're noticing yet another similarity to the earlier upload, my apologies to May's pianist, Dave Newton; owing both to his prominence in this recording and to the relative paucity of DN images available to me, I opted instead to reuse pictures of Winstone's frequent collaborator, John Taylor.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Tina May
• Ladies in Mercedes
• Steve Swallow
• Norma Winstone
• Dave Newton
• Dave Green
• Latin jazz

[sunflowergo]

fantastic!!!! This is the the Best vocal version of this song I've ever heard !!

[dvdspd21]

@sunflowergo

I agree, of course; much as I love the Winstone/Taylor version, May's much more fluent, harmonically; plus her time's great. All of which allows her not only to solo beautifully, but to be wonderfully free w/ the melody.

[Happyforest]

A great version of this song with a superb piano solo by Dave Newton. Also enjoying your other videos especially the Clare Fischer ones. Thanks.

[dvdspd21]

@Happyforest

Thanks so much for the feedback. I also have a Steve Kuhn upload in the works (my favorite instrumental version of this tune and one of many SK 's recorded, NOT the version already up on the Tube). Next in the docket, however, is another, Fischer upload. As you've no doubt discerned, CF's music and its dissemination is my particular obsession. Now, however, I've got to run out the door, so thanks again. Nice handle, BTW, and, from my brief visit, an even nicer channel.

[Eerik39]

she uses her voice so balances and can improvice -good luck - now you have good trio with you.

[pljms]

You can just imagine them whooping in the studio at the end of that extraordinary take. I remember seeing Tina May and her band in the early 90s when the album from which this track is from ('Fun') came out and thinking that if there was a better jazz singer than Tina and better jazz pianist than David Newton around I'd sure like to see them!

[sheepmotoko]

Amazing !!!

Thank you for your posting!!!

[y34r]

WOW,i love the energy of the band so much

Great performance!