★★★★★
Sound Advice is Patti Austin's first pure pop album in ten years and, as a vocalist, Austin has always moved easily between genres. Austin excels when she's paired with a producer who can bring out her strengths and the material matches her ability. The Real Me (Qwest, 1988) was an example, where the singer and the songs were perfectly matched, but this time around Austin has chosen songs that don't compliment her...
- www.allaboutjazz.com
2011-06-06
★★★★★
Though never hitting the lofty career heights of many of her peers, Patti Austin has been a consistently pleasing and prolific artist since the late 60s. And while many casual fans know her most for her work with Quincy Jones and James Ingram in the 80s, she has successfully straddled jazz, pop and soul for her entire career, creating both classic albums and, at times, discs that weren't worthy of her substantial talent...
- www.soultracks.com
2011-01-24
★★★★★
One night at the world-renowned Apollo Theatre, a four-year old girl was in the presence of blues great Dinah Washington, who let her goddaughter join her on stage. After a few "Scooby Doo" looks, the mission was accomplished. Henceforth, Patti Austin was on her way to an extremely satisfying, but underappreciated career. The latest CD, Avant Gershwin, is a celebration and an "Austinized" take on the Gershwin songbook...
- www.soultracks.com
2010-12-07
★★★★★
Patti Austin began her incandescent career at the age of four. The daughter of trombonist Gordon Austin, and goddaughter of Quincy Jones and Dinah Washington, has emerged stronger than ever. After a bout with diabetes, she decided to undergo gastric bypass surgery and the result has been remarkable. She is in superb form, both physically and artistically, as evidenced by Avant Gershwin (Rendezvous, 2007); which celebrates some of the most beloved songs written by the ingenious George Gershwin...
- www.allaboutjazz.com
2010-08-20
★★★★★
I can understand singers crafting tributes to songwriters. For instance, I can't imagine a vocal-jazz collection without Anita O'Day and Billy May Swing Rodgers and Hart or Rosemary Clooney's Blue Rose or the various Ella Fitzgerald songbooks. But I find it harder to comprehend why singers pay tribute to other singers...
- www.jazztimes.com
2010-02-19
★★★★★
Patti Austin's FOR ELLA is a remarkable CD collection that pays homage to a great lady of jazz, and it will thrill the listening audience with its lively big band vocals and big band sound. Ella Fitzgerald died on June 15, 1996, and this collection of songs is a moving tribute to her memory. Patti Austin has an original, warm voice that does these songs well. There are 12 songs on this CD collection...
- www.jazzreview.com
2009-06-08
★★★★★
Track Listing: Too Close for Comfort; Honeysuckle Rose; You'll Have to Swing it (Mr...
- www.allaboutjazz.com
2009-06-05
★★★★★
It is something of a surprise to see Patti Austin back on a major label. The record industry has been pretty ruthless with regard to pre-Jack Swing/R&B vocalists. Low budgets and obscure independents have generally been the order of the day. Perhaps her higher-than-most profile, largely due to cameo TV appearances, helped. Whatever the reason, it is refreshing to see an artist of her stature given sufficient funding and, presumably, promotion...
- www.popmatters.com
2009-03-23
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