Ask a Woman Who Knows
Studio album by
Natalie Cole
ReleasedSeptember 17, 2002
Recorded2002
StudioAvatar Studios (New York, NY); Capitol Studios (Hollywood, CA); Schnee Studios (North Hollywood, CA).
GenreJazz
Length53:31
LabelVerve
Producer
Natalie Cole chronology
Snowfall on the Sahara
(1999)		 Ask a Woman Who Knows
(2002)		 Leavin'
(2003)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Vibe[2]

Ask a Woman Who Knows is a 2002 jazz album by vocalist Natalie Cole, with guest Diana Krall, and receiving four Grammy Award nominations.

Background

Courtesy of the Clayton-Hamilton Orchestra, Cole projects her aura on to songs once recorded previously by great singers like Nina Simone, Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, Dinah Washington, Peggy Lee, Carmen McRae, Barbra Streisand, Diana Ross, Frank Sinatra, and Nat "King" Cole. Natalie Cole's musical choices include songs that depict the various aspects of love—its joy, its sorrow, its loneliness, and its consolation. Included are two of Dinah Washington's gems -- "I Haven't Got Anything Better to Do" and the title track, "Ask a Woman Who Knows"—both songs about love gone wrong. Cole changes the tone of the set with great scatting on the up-tempo swinger "My Baby Just Cares for Me"; big band swing "It's Crazy," the hit by her father, Nat King Cole; and the soulful "I'm Glad There Is You," which features Roy Hargrove on flugelhorn. Natalie Cole sings her engaging musical stories with priceless, nuanced phrasing accompanied by a distinguished core quintet of Joe Sample, Russell Malone, Christian McBride, Lewis Nash, and Rob Mounsey. The added dimension of Natalie Cole performing all background vocals and the backing of the Clayton-Hamilton Orchestra on two songs makes the recording extra special. Overall, this is an exceptional recording that re-teams her with Tommy LiPuma, the producer of her biggest hit, Unforgettable: With Love. "Better Than Anything" is a jazz waltz devoted to "women shopping, guest vocal Diana Krall in perfect agreement that spending money is the best thing in life ("better than honey on bread, better than breakfast in bed" —lyrics by Bill Loughborough), better than anything except being in love. "I'm Glad There Is You," Latin-influenced ballad from 1941 by Jimmy Dorsey. "Calling You" is an Academy Award-nominated song from the Bagdad Café (1987) film. "My Baby Just Cares For Me," the only standard here whose title is immediately recognizable, introduced in 1928 by singer Eddie Cantor, best known as the signature tune of singer and pianist Nina Simone.[3]

Commercial performance

Ask a Woman Who Knows debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's Top Jazz Albums chart an has sold more than 252,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.[4][5]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."I Haven't Got Anything Better To Do"
4:07
2."Tell Me All About It"
4:10
3."Ask a Woman Who Knows"Victor Abrams4:14
4."It's Crazy"
  • Al Fields
  • Timmie Rogers
2:10
5."You're Mine, You"
4:03
6."So Many Stars"
5:16
7."I Told You So"Duncan Lamont3:52
8."Soon"
3:13
9."I'm Glad There Is You"
5:16
10."Better Than Anything" (Duet with Diana Krall)
3:35
11."The Music That Makes Me Dance"
4:09
12."Calling You"Robert Telson5:00
13."My Baby Just Cares for Me"
4:26
Total length:53:31

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Ask a Woman Who Knows.[6]

Production

  • Natalie Cole – executive producer, liner notes
  • Tommy LiPuma – producer
  • Elliot Scheiner – recording (1, 2, 3, 7, 13)
  • Al Schmitt – recording (4, 5, 6, 8-12), orchestra recording, mixing
  • Bill Smith – Pro Tools engineer
  • Joe Brown – second engineer
  • Steve Genewick – second engineer
  • John Hendrickson – second engineer
  • Aya Takemura – second engineer
  • Doug Sax – mastering at The Mastering Lab (Hollywood, California)
  • Shari Sutcliffe – production coordinator (Los Angeles, California)
  • Jill Dell'Abate – production coordinator (New York)
  • Theodora Kuslan – release coordinator
  • Hollis King – art direction
  • Isabelle Wong – design
  • Kuaku Alston – photography
  • Dan Cleary – management

Accolades

Grammy Awards

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2003Ask A Woman Who KnowsBest Jazz Vocal AlbumNominated
"I'm Glad There Is You"Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying VocalsNominated
"Better Than Anything" (with Diana Krall)Best Pop Collaboration With VocalsNominated
Ask A Woman Who KnowsBest Engineered Album - Non-ClassicalNominated

Charts

Chart (2002) Peak
position
US Billboard 200[7] 24
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[8] 24
US Top Jazz Albums (Billboard)[9] 1

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[10] Silver 60,000*
United States — 252,000[11]

* Sales figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ↑ AllMusic review
  2. ↑ Album reviews at CD Universe
  3. ↑ About Jazz: Ask A Woman Who Knows
  4. ↑ Billboard review
  5. ↑ Billboard chart history
  6. ↑ Ask a Woman Who Knows (liner notes). Natalie Cole. Verve Records. 2002.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  7. ↑ "Natalie Cole Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved July 31, 2020.
  8. ↑ "Natalie Cole Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 31, 2020.
  9. ↑ "Natalie Cole Chart History (Top Jazz Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 31, 2020.
  10. ↑ "British album certifications – Natalie Cole – Ask a Woman Who Knows". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
  11. ↑ "Cole Covering Fiona, Neil Young On New Album". Billboard. 2005-10-28. Retrieved 2012-03-04.
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