Verve Remixed, Vol. 3

Verve Remixed, Vol. 3

ASIN: B0007PALF2

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
It's an idea that never should've worked in the first place: Verve classics remixed by today's hottest DJs and producers. Yet here's the third installment in the successful series and quality control remains high. Granted, there are a few tracks on each compilation that don't work as well as others and Verve Remixed 3 is no exception. The Postal Service take on Nina Simone's "Little Girl Blue," for instance, makes for a pleasing listen, but sounds too much like the former (the Album Leaf does a better job at staying out of Simone's way). Adam Freeland's "Fever" and Max Sedgley's "Peter Gunn," however, get the balance right. Both songs have been updated for the dancefloor, but Sarah Vaughn's exquisite vocals remain front and center. Then there's Lyrics Born with Jimmy Smith's "Stay Loose," which keeps Smith's groovy organ work in the foreground, but makes a funky track funkier yet. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Product Description
Since its debut in 2002, Verve Remixed has paired some of the world's most adventurous DJs and producers with some of the best jazz music in history. The pioneering series has achieved the rare feat of becoming both a critical and commercial success, culling the esteemed catalog of Verve Records and tapping into the creative visions of an influential generation of beat-makers. Verve Remixed 3 continues the series' mission of shaping jazz into vital contemporary music, this time with a new lineup of all-star beat-makers.

Tracks:

Little Girl Blue (Postal Service Remix) - Nina Simone
Speak Low (Bent Remix) - Billie Holiday
Sing, Sing, Sing (RSL Remix) - Anita O'day
Fever (Adam Freeland Remix) - Sarah Vaughan
Come Dance With Me (Sugardaddy Remix) - Shirley Horn
Just One Of Those Things (Brazilian Girls Remix) - Blossom Dearie
The Genle Rain (RJD2 Remix) - Astrud Gilberto
Peter Gunn (Max Sedgley Remix) - Sarah Vaughan
Stay Loose (Lyrics Born Remix) - Jimmy Smith
The Boy's Doin' It (Carl Craig Remix) - Hugh Masekela
Lilac Wine (The Album Leaf Remix) - Nina Simone
Yesterdays (Junior Boys Remix) - Billie Holiday
Baby, Did You Hear? (Danger Mouse Remix) - Dinah Washington

Amazon.com

It's an idea that never should've worked in the first place: Verve classics remixed by today's hottest DJs and producers. Yet here's the third installment in the successful series and quality control remains high. Granted, there are a few tracks on each compilation that don't work as well as others and Verve Remixed 3 is no exception. The Postal Service take on Nina Simone's "Little Girl Blue," for instance, makes for a pleasing listen, but sounds too much like the former (the Album Leaf does a better job at staying out of Simone's way). Adam Freeland's "Fever" and Max Sedgley's "Peter Gunn," however, get the balance right. Both songs have been updated for the dancefloor, but Sarah Vaughn's exquisite vocals remain front and center. Then there's Lyrics Born with Jimmy Smith's "Stay Loose," which keeps Smith's groovy organ work in the foreground, but makes a funky track funkier yet. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Album Description

Since its debut in 2002, Verve Remixed has paired some of the world's most adventurous DJs and producers with some of the best jazz music in history. The pioneering series has achieved the rare feat of becoming both a critical and commercial success, culling the esteemed catalog of Verve Records and tapping into the creative visions of an influential generation of beat-makers. Verve Remixed 3 continues the series' mission of shaping jazz into vital contemporary music, this time with a new lineup of all-star beat-makers.

Customer Reviews:

Volume 3.......2007-04-10

The first "Verve/Remixed" focused on Divas, mostly those of the Jazz genre. This third disc - like the second volume - deviates from that enjoyable formula by expanding to female pop singers, male vocalists, and instrumentalists.

VERVE/REMIXED 3 consists of 13 newly remixed songs. Disc packaged in clear jewel case; total running time: 63:38. Booklet does not include information about the original recordings (not even songwriting credits).

Once again, there are two Nina Simone recordings remixed. Billie Holiday and Sarah Vaughan both have two songs each. And Brazilian singer Astruid Gilberto appears once again.

While containing less music (less 1 track and 10 minutes), this is a better collection than "Verve/Remixed 2". Sarah Vaughan's "Peter Gunn" is very fun; Nina Simone's "Little Girl Blue" is nice. But (one-half of Gnarls Barkley) DJ Danger Mouse's remix of "Baby, Did You Hear?" is weak; Dinah's vocals are barely audible. Surprisingly, Anita O'Day's "Sing, Sing, Sing" is rather enjoyable.

Jazz on Crack.......2007-03-15

After the stellar remixing on the first two verve albums, I was expecting to have an equal or better mixes on the third. Boy was I wrong. I cringed when I heard what some of the DJs had done with the songs. "Gentle Rain" with hard thumping along piano stabs (how is that gentle RJD2?). The utterly annoying Carl Craig remix if "The Boy's Doin' It" with this distasteful pad in the background that makes you want to change the song after 5 seconds, and waiting for him to drop the beat (which he never does). And who the hell puts repeated 16th-note claps for 40 seconds in a jazz song? wtf!? This guy should get his remixing license revoked. Brazilian Girls on meth manages to muffle Blossom Dearie. And Postal Service manages to make Nina Simone sound like a VW commercial. Do these guys know they're remixing JAZZ?

Of course, not everybody does a poor job, which is why I give it 2 stars. RSL and Bent definitely get it done. Honorable mentions to Lyrics Born and Junior Boys. As for everybody else... they should never be let into the Verve archives ever again.

PS. If you need your remix fix, look into Verve's "Jazz Remixed" album. It pretty much picks up where Remixed 2 left off.

The Desire of Dancing.......2007-02-23

Another varied compilation with some incredible results. Nina Simone has been sampled better in other more recent tracks and the Postal Service remix of Little Girl Blue was disapponting. The album soon comes to life with the incredible work of the very versatile RSL on their remix of Anita O'Day's "Sing, Sing, Sing", worth buying the album for alone!! You gotta love their funk! Adam Freeland's re-working of Sarah Vaughan's "Fever" is another dance floor beauty, but just wait until you hear Jimmy Smith's "Stay Loose", and you'll understand why we love these hit and miss remixed compilations. Just like the gold prospector's, you gotta sift a lotta rock before finding the real gems, and there are certainly some pieces of gold in here, you just gotta sift for them. Improves on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th listening.

My kids age 5 & 10 love it as much as I do .......2006-11-16

While on car trips we often have trouble agreeing on music but both my kids love Remixed 3 . They are especially fond of Peter Gunn and Stay Loose. My [...] boy will sit in his car seat and bop and sing along to the entire album. This is a great way to introduce the jazz standards to the younger set. They like the Unmixed to a degree but just go crazy over the remixed versions. We have both versions of all three albums and can make a long trip with no whining about the music.

Fresh, freestyle fun music to chill-out for..........2006-01-26

I was thinking what a more suitable place to write this review; in here or the Chill-out section, but decided it fits here more, since it's more on the experimental and free style side of things...

This compilation is the 3rd in it's series, the Verve Remixed (there is also an unmixed series), the concept in here is mixing old school jazzy stuff; Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, Shirley Horn, Hugh Masekela to name of few, and taking it on a whole new level with modern day electronic music...

the results for my opinion is brilliant, really retro / lounge downtempo, with a funky twists and different moods, that you can chill-out too and also really get inside the music...

Nina Simone - Little Girl Blue (Postal Service Remix) 05:18

The whole thing, begins with a very mellow piece; it has lush vocals, taken from the original song, that really wraps with warm, fuzzy feeling... kind of moody, suits good for rainy days, and lazy saturdays; it has the occasional bleep and blops here and there, that overall gives this song a nice treatment...

Billie Holiday - Speak Low (Bent Remix) 04:22

A very retro feeling, with deep melancholic atmosphere, one of my favorites here, sad little number with Billie Holiday husky, deep voice singing about "love is a spark, lost in the dark...", very deep and retro, those are the words I can describe it.

Anita O'Day - Sing, Sing, Sing (RSL Remix) 06:08

wow, this is a funky-ass piece of music, Anita O'Day's singing really make you wiggle your ass: "sing, sing, sing, sing, everybody's starts to swing", it brings joy to me everytime I hear it, sounds like something taken from an old smokey jazz bar in the 50's, with the great funky jazz singing, and the trumpets and everything else around, is just a big carnival, delightful stuff !!!

Sarah Vaughan - Fever (Adam Freeland Remix) 04:38

Fever is a very well-known theme, that you will recognize as soon as you hear it, gets a fresh new treatment here, and it sounds good, giving it more on the groove section, making it sound really electronic and updated... it's good and uplifitng, wonderful stuff !

Shirley Horn - Come Dance with Me (Sugadaddy Remix) 04:40

One fellow from Groove Armada, and another guy called Tim Hutton adds to this song a whole new dance-house aspect, with House influences, and some great groove that make it sound really dirty; great piano line and the rusty voice of Shirley Horn on the lead... also one of the best in here, I love it very much !

Blossom Dearie - Just One of Those Things (Brazilian Girls Remix) 04:48

it's a pretty uptempo number, with some slight Techno riffs, and fast rhythm grinding along, the fast singing of the original lyrics is done nicely, and overall it doesn't really hits the spot, the Techno riffs and high BPM doesn't sound that right to me, but overall this is not bad.

Astrud Gilberto - The Gentle Rain (RJD2 Remix) 05:59

This is also one of the highlights of the album, very relaxing, and loungey feeling; the song just wraps you around with it's warm feeling, and gentle touch, the singing in here is very mellow, and there's a piano line the plays all along, that really adds to the overall great feeling !

Sarah Vaughan - Peter Gunn (Max Sedgley Remix) 05:07

another very well-known theme in here also, I think the melody is taken from one of James Bond's movies (am I correct ?), the main theme is absolutly contagious, and the overall effect is very dramatic, and the whole thing sounds well thought of, a proffesional work.

Jimmy Smith - Stay Loose (Lyrics Born Remix) 3:19

a short piece, funky, bluesy, happy... the Jimmy Smith singing is just wonderful, and the trumpets that follows along; the song is twisting and grooving, really funky stuff, that sounds so much freestyle... one of my favroties as well !!

Hugh Masekela - The Boy's Doin' It (Carl Craig Remix) 06:27

Hugh Masekela has a great voice, singing here in the bluesy way; the song combines technoish beats with cool trumpets, and nice rhythm to go with it, pretty minimal, but nonetheless works really good

Nina Simone - Lilac Wine (The Album Leaf Remix) 05:45

this is very delusional, stoned out music; you get here Nina Simone singing about how she like wine and everything is so hazey... and the dreamy melodies on the background, gives it a very weird atmosphere, very good for smoking and just chilling out too, very chilled piece with a twist...

Billie Holiday - Yesterdays (Junior Boys Remix) 02:25

super-slow, Lounge track with big retro feel to it, it's just a short filler, but very chilled-out and smooth, really enjoyable...

Dinah Washington - Baby, Did You Hear ? (Danger Mouse Remix) 03:31

for the closing song, we get a more on the hip-hop side of things, really fresh sounding; nice hip-hop like beats, and cool ending for this wonderful release.

i'm sorry if my review is too long to read, but when I start, I just cannot stop or make myself short; if you really read the review you probably know by now that this is a really rare collection, of fun and freestyle music, good for background music, for evenings at home, or saturday, or just chilling out too, this is a magnificent work, and I recommand it to everyone, and people that didn't read my review, this is very different and alternative kind of music - if you like old Jazz, Nu-Jazz, Lounge / Chill-Out, Bossa-Nova, Electro, Freestyle... this is one of the best thing that i've ever heard, such good and intersting music, HIGHLY RECOMMANDED.

also, there are vol. 1 & 2 that should be even better, my order is already on it's way !

PEACE

Average customer rating:

Verve Remixed/Unmixed, Vol. 3
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Universal
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

Verve Remixed

ASIN: B0007YP126
Release Date: 2005-09-20

Tracks:

Little Girl Blue (Postal Service Remix)
Speak Low (Bent Remix)
Sing, Sing, Sing (Rsl Remix)
Fever (Adam Freeland Remix)
Come Dance With Me (Sugardaddy Remix Tom Findlay & Tim Hutton)
Just One Of Those Things (Brazilian Girls Remix)
Gentle Rain (Rjd2 Remix)
Peter Gunn (Max Sedgley Remix)
Stay Loose (Lyrics Born Remix)
Boy's Doin' It (Carl Craig Remix)
Lilac Wine (The Album Leaf Remix)
Yesterdays (Junior Boys Remix)
Baby, Did You Hear? (Danger Mouse Remix)
Little Girl Blue
Speak Low
Sing, Sing, Sing
Fever
Come Dance With Me
Just One Of Those Things
Gentle Rain
Peter Gunn
Stay Loose
Boy's Doin' It
Lilac Wine
Yesterdays
Baby, Did You Hear?

Album Description

Exclusive Import release couples both the Remixed and the Unmixed CD's. 26 tracks in total. Slimline double jewel case. Verve. 2005.

Album Review:

Album Review

Album Review