Customer Reviews
Swingin' is Right! 
2008-06-05
Dinah's style and execution are amazing and Quincy Jones' orchestra is about the tightest thing I've ever heard. You should have this album!
Fantastic Album 2008-05-25
Sound and lyrics were terrific...Miss Washington would have the other contestants at American Idol feel completely incompetent.........
quality lost 
2008-02-17
The quality of Dinah Washington's voice come over very well on the Doubletree television ad, but not at all on the CD track, as is the case with all popular singers, including Linda Ronstadt. The original timbre of the voice is not there. What a Diff'rence a Day Makes!
a great dittie 2008-01-22
Bought this for the song "Relax Max" which is well worth it as I only heard it on the TV advertisement for DoubleTree hotels. The other songs are real bonuses!
"NOT JUST THE QUEEN OF THE BLUES" 2007-11-21
5 WEEK'S IN A ROW I LED OFF MY RADIO SHOW WITH,DINAH WASHINGTON. I ASKED THE STATION MANAGER,
MR KELSEY' IF THAT WAS OK. "IT'S DINAH WASHINGTON,SURE YOU CAN". HARD TO BELIEVE I NEVER HEARD
OF"RELAX,MAX" UNTIL THAT COMMERCIAL AIRED ON TV . THIS 1956 RECORDING BRINGS IN QUINCY JONES'
ORCHESTRA WITH ADDED ARRANGEMENT'S BY;ERNIE WILKINS/BENNY GOLSON + OTHER TOP JAZZ
SOLOIST'S.
SONG'S ARE;"CARAVAN","PERDIDO","NEVER LET ME GO",DROWN IN MY TEARS,"CLOSE YOUR EYES"(THIS
TUNE IS MY NEW FAVORITE.) AND 12 MORE.
DINAH IS THE QUEEN OF THE BLUES,GOSPEL,LATIN,JAZZ AND POP!!! IT'S ALL HERE!!!
Dinah and Quincy sold these songs without even trying--and that's no small feat !!! 2007-08-30
Dinah Washington remains one of the greatest entertainers of the twentieth century. Dinah sang beautifully; and her audiences loved her for it. She improvised well and her excellent diction enhanced her performances. This CD gives us a glimpse into Dinah's fantastic style.
The track set begins with "They Didn't Believe Me." The bass, percussion and horns start the number well; and when Dinah comes in this number stuns me with its beauty. Dinah never sounded better; Quincy Jones & His Orchestra make wonderful music to be the backdrop for Dinah's vocals. "Makin' Whoopee" gives Dinah the chance to take an older standard and infuse it with a jazzy style to make this ballad all her own. The percussion and horns bolster "Makin' Whoopee," too. Great! "But Not For Me" sports a slightly more upbeat melody than usual; and Dinah sings a rarely heard opening verse to make "But Not For Me" a very special number. Dinah swings and gives us a particularly jazzy rendition of "But Not For Me."
"Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby" gets the royal treatment from Dinah as she sings this to perfection; and the musical arrangement by Quincy Jones & His Orchestra never misses a beat. Dinah delivers this number so well; it sounds fresh and almost upbeat rather than the more traditional renditions--Dinah's excellent command of this number lets her deliver "Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby" with a powerful punch.
"Somebody Loves Me" showcases Dinah as she swings and sways, belting out this joyful tune with all her might. Quincy Jones provides a great arrangement for the horns midway through this number--awesome! You will enjoy "Somebody Loves Me" very, very much. "Relax Max" sports a Latin beat that Dinah infuses with a flair that nobody could ever duplicate. Strong! "The Kissing Way Home" has a wistful yet jazzy beat to it as Dinah performs this flawlessly. Dinah makes this romantic ballad shine like pure gold!
Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. The last track is entitled simply "I Know." After a beautiful horn flourish, Dinah comes in strong and sure of herself. Dinah sings this optimistic number with panache; and her excellent diction enables her to accentuate certain syllables to make this song fly higher than the sky! "I Know" provides a strong ending for this album.
The liner notes include replicas of the original record album artwork and the original liner notes by John Wilson. Brian Priestley contributes an informative essay as well. We get a great photo of Dinah and Quincy Jones working together on an arrangement--a rare photo indeed!
Dinah Washington remains a legend in the entertainment industry; her CDs still sell very well to this day. I highly recommend this for Dinah's fans; and people who enjoy classic jazz vocals will enjoy this album for years to come, too.
Dinah does it right 2007-06-08
This CD by Dinah Washington has some great tunes on it...the title Relax Max just makes you want to smile and is actually very timely in that a major hotel chain is currently featuring it in there TV ads! Really nice CD -- Dinah left us way to soon !!
She Swings and Sings 2007-06-08
This is an excellent album with Dinah backed by Quincy Jones and his Orchestra. Some of the highlights include "They Didn't Believe Me," Makin' Whooppee," and "Relax Max". But you will enjoy each and every tune on the album. Dinah has a voice that captivates from to start to finish. And when she's done singing, you wish she'd sing some more!
A superb performance with an incredible band to back it up! 2007-05-22
I stipulate to all the other comments already made in previous reviews... but since I didn't see this information on this page... thought I'd pass it along. Dinah's performance is indeed incredible... not a bad song on the entire CD... but the orchestra (big band) that backs her up is also incredible... and is it any wonder... with Quincy Jones (conductor); Hal McKusick (alto saxophone, flute); Anthony Ortega (alto saxophone); Jerome Richardson, Lucky Thompson (tenor saxophone); Danny Bank (baritone saxophone); Don Elliott (trumpet, mellophone, vibraphone, xylophone, bongo); Bernie Glow, Jimmy Maxwell, Ernie Royal, Doc Severinsen, Charlie Shavers, Clark Terry, Nick Travis, Joe Wilder (trumpet); Jimmy Cleveland, Urbie Green, Quentin Jackson (trombone); Tommy Mitchell (bass trombone); Clarence "Sleepy" Anderson (piano); Barry Galbraith (guitar); Milt Hinton (bass); Jimmy Crawford, Osie Johnson (drums). This was recorded in 1956 with 23-year-old Quincy Jones arranging. Nothin' like the sound of a real BIG BAND and a singer who's got the pipes to compete with all the horns... fantastic...
swingin Miss D 
2007-05-13
This is a very good CD and and the hotel chain TV ad introduced me to Miss Washington.
