Washington in the Hi-Fi Era
A singer at the height of her powers, picking standards that let her do what she does best.
By 1956, Dinah Washington had already proven herself one of the finest vocalists in American music, equally comfortable in jazz, blues, and pop settings. In the Land of Hi-Fi (1956) captures her at a moment when the recording industry was obsessed with technical showcase albums — records designed to demonstrate the clarity and fidelity of new hi-fi equipment. Washington's label, Emarcy, gave her a simple brief: pick songs that suit your voice and style, and we'll make sure they sound crystal clear.
What makes this album work is that Washington doesn't pretend the hi-fi angle changes what she does. She sings jazz and popular standards the way she always has, with complete control and an ear for phrasing that makes every lyric land exactly where it should. The material spans the usual territory — blues numbers, romantic ballads, uptempo swing tunes — but the point is how she inhabits each one. There's no attempt to sound cool or distant. She's direct, sometimes tender, sometimes cutting, always in command of the room.
This sits in the middle of Washington's catalog: not her most essential work, but solid and worth hearing if you already know her earlier recordings. The hi-fi gimmick dates the album a little, and some listeners will find the sound overly polished compared to her grittier blues sides. But if you want to hear Washington when she was completely sure of herself, picking material that suited her perfectly and delivering it with zero wasted motion, this album delivers exactly that.
Who's playing
Where next?
More by Dinah Washington
All 35 albums →
The musicians on this record
Their own records, close in time
