Abbey Lincoln - It's Magic (1958/2021)

Because Abbey Lincoln has always been careful to sing songs that have a deep meaning for her, all of her recordings through the years are memorable in their own way; there are no duds in her discography. Her second Riverside session (and her third recording), It's Magic has been reissued on this CD in the Original Jazz Classics series. The backup musicians are among the best in jazz at the time (Kenny Dorham or Art Farmer on trumpet, trombonist Curtis Fuller, Benny Golson on tenor, Jerome Richardson or Sahib Shihab on reeds, pianist Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers or Sam Jones on bass, and drummer Philly Joe Jones) and they have opportunities to play short solos. Lincoln is heard at her early best on such numbers as "I Am in Love," "An Occasional Man," "Out of the Past" and Randy Weston's "Little Niles." Recommended.

by Scott Yanow

Tracklist:

01. I Am in Love (Porter) - 2:50
02. It's Magic (Cahn-Styne) - 4:04
03. Just for Me (Komack) - 3:36
04. An Occasional Man (Blane-Martin) - 3:24
05. Ain't Nobody's Business (Trad.) - 4:27
06. Out of the Past (Hendricks-Golson) - 4:46
07. Music, Maestro, Please (Magidson-Wrubel) - 3:19
08. Exactly Like You (Fields-McHugh) - 2:41
09. Love (Blane-Martin) - 2:55
10. Little Niles (Hendricks-Weston) - 5:05