VOA标准英语2009年-Rising Jazz Vocalists Shine On 2 New C

Love and romance are alive and well on new CDs by Sophie Milman and Roberta Gambarini.

Doug Levine | Washington 22 December 2009

 
Sophie Milman's 'Take Love Easy' CD

"For arrangement, I look for a presentation that allows the song to be the center of attention," says Roberta Gambarini.

A great love song never goes out of style.  Just ask Russian-born singer Sophie Milman, whose new release Take Love Easy blends timeless standards with modern pop masterpieces. 

"I'm a better singer experimenting with feel and taking my vocals² up a notch," she says.

Sophie got her start in a children's musical troupe³ after moving with her family from western Russia to Israel.  At age 16, she settled in Toronto, Canada, where she gained a steady following on the local jazz scene.  Take Love Easy is by far her most adventurous⁴ album to date, as she alternates between pages from the Great American Songbook and time-tested rock tunes⁵ by Bruce Springsteen, Joni Mitchell and Paul Simon.

Roberta Gambarini's 'So In Love' CD

Like Sophie Milman, singer Roberta Gambarini is at her best singing the music of Cole Porter, Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer and other great American composers.

Roberta Gambarini, singing classics like "That Old Black Magic," has drawn⁶ comparisons to jazz divas Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan.  One of her frequent collaborators, veteran pianist Hank Jones, calls her "the best singer to emerge in over 60 years."

Roberta's quest to become a jazz musician began in her hometown of Turin, Italy, where she first learned to play clarinet.  She turned to singing in her teens, and later won a scholarship to the New England Conservatory⁷ of Music in Boston, Massachusetts.

Touring with some of today's top jazz stars led to her U.S. recording⁸ debut⁹, Easy To Love, in 2006.  The album earned a Grammy nomination¹⁰ for Best Jazz Vocal¹ Performance.

When it comes to choosing songs, Gambarini's first priority is making a personal connection with the lyrics¹¹ and melody.  Also important are the arrangements. 

"For arrangement, I look for a presentation that allows the song to be the center of attention, and the message of the song to be delivered in the most direct and truthful¹² way possible," she says.

Included on her latest album So In Love is a three-song tribute to Cole Porter, as well as her jazzy interpretations¹³ of The Beatles' "Golden Slumbers¹⁴" and the Willie Nelson classic, "Crazy."
 

1 vocal   

adj.直言不讳的；嗓音的；n.[pl.]声乐节目

参考例句：

• The tongue is a vocal organ.舌头是一个发音器官。
• Public opinion at last became vocal.终于舆论哗然。

2 vocals   

（乐曲中的）歌唱部份，声乐部份( vocal的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Also look out for soaring vocals on The Right Man. 另外，也可留意一下《意中人》中的那高亢的唱腔。
• Lazy bass line, lazier drums, lush violins, great piano and incomparable vocals. 懒惰的低音线，较懒惰的鼓，饮小提琴，棒的钢琴和无比的声音。

3 troupe   

n.剧团，戏班；杂技团；马戏团

参考例句：

• The art troupe is always on the move in frontier guards.文工团常年在边防部队流动。
• The troupe produced a new play last night.剧团昨晚上演了一部新剧。

4 adventurous   

adj.爱冒险的；惊心动魄的，惊险的，刺激的　

参考例句：

• I was filled with envy at their adventurous lifestyle.我很羨慕他们敢于冒险的生活方式。
• He was predestined to lead an adventurous life.他注定要过冒险的生活。

5 tunes   

n.曲调，曲子( tune的名词复数 )v.调音( tune的第三人称单数 )；调整；（给收音机、电视等）调谐；使协调

参考例句：

• a potpourri of tunes 乐曲集锦
• When things get a bit too much, she simply tunes out temporarily. 碰到事情太棘手时，她干脆暂时撒手不管。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

7 conservatory   

n.温室，音乐学院；adj.保存性的，有保存力的

参考例句：

• At the conservatory,he learned how to score a musical composition.在音乐学校里，他学会了怎样谱曲。
• The modern conservatory is not an environment for nurturing plants.这个现代化温室的环境不适合培育植物。

8 recording   

n.录音，记录

参考例句：

• How long will the recording of the song take?录下这首歌得花多少时间？
• I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。

9 debut   

n.首次演出，初次露面

参考例句：

• That same year he made his Broadway debut, playing a suave radio journalist.在那同一年里，他初次在百老汇登台，扮演一个温文而雅的电台记者。
• The actress made her debut in the new comedy.这位演员在那出新喜剧中首次登台演出。

10 nomination   

n.提名，任命，提名权

参考例句：

• John is favourite to get the nomination for club president.约翰最有希望被提名为俱乐部主席。
• Few people pronounced for his nomination.很少人表示赞成他的提名。

11 lyrics   

n.歌词

参考例句：

• music and lyrics by Rodgers and Hart 由罗杰斯和哈特作词作曲
• The book contains lyrics and guitar tablatures for over 100 songs. 这本书有100多首歌的歌词和吉他奏法谱。

12 truthful   

adj.真实的，说实话的，诚实的

参考例句：

• You can count on him for a truthful report of the accident.你放心，他会对事故作出如实的报告的。
• I don't think you are being entirely truthful.我认为你并没全讲真话。

13 interpretations   

n.解释( interpretation的名词复数 )；表演；演绎；理解

参考例句：

• This passage is open to a variety of interpretations. 这篇文章可以有各种不同的解释。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The involved and abstruse passage makes several interpretations possible. 这段艰涩的文字可以作出好几种解释。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

14 slumbers   

睡眠，安眠( slumber的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His image traversed constantly her restless slumbers. 他的形象一再闯进她的脑海，弄得她不能安睡。
• My Titan brother slumbers deep inside his mountain prison. Go. 我的泰坦兄弟就被囚禁在山脉的深处。