Quinn
Lemley
Dance or Die!
Quinn
Lemleys third production, Dance or Die!, might
sound like a commandment for some kamikaze lindy hopping inebriate,
and indeed, this album is powered with pulse-pounding rhythms.
Almost all the tracks are unique, innovative compositions, courtesy
of pianist and producer Bob McDowell. The Lemley/McDowell union
is perfect, as Quinn wields her partners lyrics with more
accuracy than Mata Hari and with deadlier deliverance than Salome.
Her singing blends the sophistication and personality of a cabaret
chanteuse with the kind of free-spirited sense of fun exhibited
by Bette Midler, making Lemley a genre unto herself. Some of the
tunes on this disc are fast, clean swingers with complicated arrangements,
while others are swanky little musical episodes snatched from
a jazz set. Still others are best enjoyed while luxuriating on
your favorite beanbag at home, to the music of ice playing against
the side of a hi-ball glass.The covers, especially, are wonderfully
rendered. Just listen how Quinn both out-growls and out-purrs
Ann Margret on her version of Thirteen Men.
Lemley
sings with the same marrow-chilling quality as 50s doyennes
June Christy and Julie London. Unlike these singers, though, Lemley
doesnt exhale her lyrics; her bright, high-pitched voice
cuts to the soul like a heart-bound surgical scalpel. Quinn also
unabashedly quickens the listeners pulse with unbridled
sex appeal (like Anita ODay) by way of spicy style and flirtatious
lyrics, which have undoubtedly prompted male audience members
to pound at her dressing room door after a live set, insisting
she finish what she started. Lemley (or, as she likes to call
herself, Trouble wrapped in Givenchy) will undoubtedly
ignite your stereo system and send your libido into orbit around
the moon.
Visit
the band at www.quinnlemley.com
-
Giancarlo Davis
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