Music Review: Singer Sings A Sexy, Slinky, Slithery Single With Natalie Douglas' New Release TRUST IN ME

Heigh Ho, dear lovely rainbow tribe, welcome back to Bobby’s CD sandbox where we offer our broken-down breakdowns of new music releases. So, strap in and get ready, as Bobby goes on the record ABOUT the record.

This week’s music entry in the BobbyFiles comes from one of NYC’s top Cabaret mavens, the fabulous Natalie Douglas who, just this week, released her own single of TRUST IN ME. Penned by the legendary Sherman Brothers for Disney’s 1967 animated feature THE JUNGLE BOOK, the song was introduced by Disney perennial voice actor Sterling Holloway - most famous for giving vocal life to Winnie The Pooh. In THE JUNGLE BOOK, Holloway’s character, Kaa, is the slithery sidekick snake to the villainous tiger, Shere Khan, and, with TRUST IN ME, Kaa attempts to mesmerize young Mowgli with his spinning eyes and soft, sinister lullaby, in order to make a meal out of the moppet. In the intervening years, the song has been recorded nearly 30 times by singers as far-reaching as Holloway’s fellow JB cast member Louis Prima, Siouxsie & The Banshees, Selena Gomez, and, in the most recent JB remake, playing Kaa, Scarlett Johansson. So, in the last 50+ years, the song has gotten some mileage… not a lot, but some. The songs I WANNA BE LIKE YOU and THE BARE NECESSITIES, from the same film, are far better known than this eerie tune, BUT it is Halloween and that could well be the Diva Douglas’ motivation for this release. Whatever the reason, ND’s version of the song is most definitely one that rivals Holloway’s creepy AF original, in seduction factors and musical interpretation. Have a listen…
 

Performance-wise, Natalie is smooth as silk, liquid, and seductive. She has perfect vocal control even in this almost-whispered song, making sure that not a single note is passed over in favor of her vocal production. She lulls, slithers, and caresses with the words and notes, making hers as hypnotic as this hypnotizing song has ever been. Her deep tones are nice, but it is her soft mid-range notes that sustain and seduce. Douglas is a gifted jazz singer, and the jazz overtones in this recording are in the rhythms of the drums and upright bass, giving the feeling of walking slowly through Disney’s Jungle, in their take on Kipling. The whole vibe is jazz-infused but with a bounce to it, despite the oh-so-slow tempo. For the lyrics… Richard Sherman was primarily the composer of the music for their songs, and Robert, primarily, the lyricist, but both wrote music and lyrics through their co-careers and, for this one, they chose a very simple (and short) verse: 

Trust in me, just in me
Close your eyes and trust in me
You can sleep safe and sound
Knowing I am around

Slip into silent slumber
Sail(ing) on a silver mist
Slowly and surely your senses
Will cease to resist

Just relax Be at rest
Like a bird In a nest

Trust in me, just in me
Close your eyes and trust in me

Creepy - AmIRight dear Bobby readers? But Natalie Douglas ain’t no python, and her rich voice makes it all so very sexy that one can hardly stand it. If there is a story to be told in this recording, it is most definitely that of a bold woman eyeing a conquest, knowing she will seduce them into giving her all she wants. 

THE JUNGLE BOOK was one Disney film among many for The Sherman Brothers, who produced more motion picture song scores than any other songwriting team in film history, and while TRUST IN ME is a little more obscure than the hit tunes from the film, it is one that sticks with you, with its relentless musical slithering and the hypnotic rhythms, it gets in your ear and under your skin. Personally, my pets, Little Bobby has periodically found himself humming this one out of the blue, through the years, since seeing it in the 60s, and kudos to Douglas for picking it up, for it is a bold choice to record such a ssssssensuous ssssssong and so we award her a nice…

4 ½ Rainbows Out Of 5

Jump In The Amazon And Stream This One: HERE

Listen To It On The Spotifies: HERE

You Can See And Hear Everything About Natalie Douglas On Her Webbysite: HERE

TRUST IN ME is the first single from the new Natalie Douglas album from Club44 Records, coming on February 23, 2024.  An album release concert is scheduled for February 26th at Birdland on 44th Street in beautiful Midtown Manhattan.  Keep an eye out for reservations on the Birdland website HERE.

Visit the Club44 website HERE.

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