When you meet Abbey Lincoln, you quickly sense that there is something special about her. Something impish in the twinkle of her eye catches you, that of a child who has just thought up a good piece of mischief, a quick and agile mind, a deep, hearty laugh that’s almost roguish. But there is also a depth and center behind that gaze that speaks of wisdom and experience, of sadness and joy, of feelings strongly felt, of convictions strongly held. These traits become all the more apparent in her singing. Her dark velvet voice is now richer, stronger, and surer than ever before, and her delivery has that sharp edge that has always been part and parcel of her style. On her own compositions, the lyrics portray brittle ironies as well as simple truths we all need to be reminded of. She interprets ballads with a sense of conviction that makes them blossom like few singers have. Overall, Golden Lady reveals Abbey Lincoln the mature artist, aware of her craft, her personal gifts and values, and observant of history. First, she is aware of the significance of the spoken word: “I always listen to the words first”, she explained, “they should be meaningful, not incidental. The singer is the only musical instrument that uses words, and you have to get taught by what they say. In a song or a poem you get a chance to look at what’s been written – and you have to examine it closely, because it’s for other people’s ears, too. I try to find a universal in the songs I sing, a common ground; to share this with others is to be blessed”. Abbey Lincoln’s wit, nuance, and charm onstage make her an entertainer of forceful presence, yet in no way does she see her role as song stylist as divorced from other aspects of her personality and spirit. On the contrary, they form an integral whole with both personal and universal dimensions. “I am in my golden years on the planet”, she continued, “and I’m aware of my own increased sensitivity to life. I have discovered the scope, vastness, and perception of the people I come from and it’s given me a way of seeing myself in direct relationship to who we come from and who we are. I’ve been practicing music all my life, and like any instrument you keep using over and over again, it gets better and better. I think of myself as a scientist in the science of like and in the science of music. I’ve always tried like the ancient ones, to use art as a tool to develop character. We live a universal life, and it’s possible to speak to everybody on some level. I try to remain observant of everything, and sing about what I like in my life – when you hear certain things over and over again, it becomes a kind of prayer”. Like her last album, the critically acclaimed People in Me (IC 6040), the first recording to feature all-original Lincoln songs, Golden Lady once again finds her blessed with artistic support of the highest phrasing, ears, and taste make him a perfectly complementary voice. “Archie knows how to complement another artist”, Abbey comments, “and he knows how to work and be with you. He made me feel like a queen. With him as well as with the other musicians on this date, I discovered that the really wonderful musicians, the ones with the most to give, are the ones with the most respect, too. Not only for the music, but for those who bring the music. There was a total understanding involved with the music we made, the way we heard and followed each other, without a trace of contention. Like the protagonists in a Balzac novel, all the musicians were in Paris at the right time. Trumpeter Roy Burrowes was there as part of Sun Ra’s celestial aggregation. Together pianist Hilton Ruiz, bassist Jack Gregg, and drummer Freddie Waits had been touring Europe with altoist Marion Brown. Abbey found them in a popular boite called De Dreyer. “It’s a restaurant”, she recalled, “with a room downstairs where people gather to hear singers and musicians. I was immediately struck by Hilton when I saw him there, playing on the keys, plucking the piano’s strings, playing with all his heart and soul. Later we all got together at the apartment I had there and worked out all the music. As you can hear, they’re all very astute, creative musicians!” This album offers a skilful blending of standards and original compositions. Asked to comment on her material, Abbey continued: “‘Golden Lady’ is a special song, a prayer, written by a very special person. Stevie is a prophet in that he speaks for the people and his dreams are the dreams of the people, and they’re my dreams, too”. She also has chosen Michel Legrand’s haunting ballad “What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life”, and brings a new measure of depth and conviction to this never-to-be-over recorded beauty. “It’s such a wonderful song,” Abbey commented, “and I’ve been singing it ever since I first heard it. It’s a love song, and I’m singing it to the world!” On her choice of the Duke’s “Sophisticated Lady”, Abbey explained: “The first time I heard this song, Billy Eckstine was singing it at The Crescendo on Sunset Boulevard. I cried when I heard it, it was so very special and beautiful, and I guess it caught me at a sentimental moment. It describes a situation, a kind of person, that you still see all over. The sophisticated lady is still around, and the sophisticated man too! That’s why you still hear it so much”. The remaining three songs are all Lincoln originals, and offer a revealing glimpse into the artist’s personality. She describes “Throw it Away” as “when you have to give something up. If you can’t keep something, you’ve got to give it up. There’s a place where the ancient writers say if your right arm offends you, cut it off. You can’t lose anything that’s really yours it is belongs to you”. Abbey goes on to describe the situation that provoked “Painted Lady”: “I was in Buffalo doing a concert with Stan Getz and Ahmad Jamal”, she remembers, “I got dressed, put on some paint and my costume, and went down to the lobby to wait for the taxi to take me to the concert. The young man at the desk was a college student and seemed curious as to just who I was. I know a lot of times just because I look the way I look, people mistake me for all kinds of things. When a woman paints he face it makes some folk think she is a woman of easy virtue. This fellow wasn’t rude in the way he looked at me, just inquisitive. So I said to him that I was a painted lady on the stage and he responded, ‘oh, that’s wonderful!, and was very complimentary. That’s where this song began, I thought I’d finally get this off my chest, these faces wondering what you’re doing and why don’t you have a job, and not knowing the seriousness of my profession as an artist”. Finally, there is what remains perhaps the most intriguing song of all, “Caged Bird”, it’s concern is for freedom, a pervading theme of Lincoln’s music from the moment she recorded that historic Freedom Now Suite with Max Roach for Riverside Records in the early sixties. “I wrote it in 1973”, Abby explained: “but I think this is the best version of it I’ve ever done. I wasn’t thinking of including it on this album, but a young singer I met in Paris named Anitra came to the session and asked me what happened to ‘Caged Bird’ is all about. If somebody came here from another planet all they would need to see to know who the human being was is to see a caged bird. The bird is the only creature on the planet that can fly through the air, yet people put it into a cage and keep it there. Too often that’s the way we live, our spirits are caged in societies we call civilized. Life can be so restrictive if you don’t have self expression, if you’re not allowed to creatively express yourself. In the industrial, technological world we become so regimented, for no good reason, and it doesn’t help technology in the long run. It’s natural for the human spirit to dance and sing, to play an instrument, to tell stories. I’m so thankful that I’m in the arts, because through them I have freedom of expression, and the bird is released!” With the release of this album, the listener gets the best of both worlds: A compelling reading of three evergreens, as well as three evocative originals. The bird soars, poised in flight, and Abbey Lincoln, a golden lady of song, reaps for all of us a ripe harvest of delight, surprise and enchantment.