Wholly Earth

Wholly Earth

Abbey Lincoln's follow-up to the well-received Verve release <I>Who Used to Dance</I> finds the singer stretching her sweet and sour vocals and exquisitely languorous phrasing over a set of (mostly) original material. Joined by the likes of Bobby Hutcherson on vibes and marimba and Nicholas Payton on trumpet and flügelhorn, <I>Wholly Earth</I> is wholly Abbey Lincoln--romance buffered by heartbreak tragedy; idealism diffused by real-life pitfalls; striking beauty windblown by brief shadows and sad downpours. On the title cut she is swept away by joy while "Caged Bird" is a melancholy shuffle and "And It's Supposed to Be Love" is a romantic tearjerker. That Ms. Lincoln can express so many moods--some just by the mere sound of her voice--is testament to her tremendous talents. That a record like <I>Wholly Earth</I> is large enough to contain all she has to offer is testament to its remarkable success. <i>--S. Duda</i>