NOTE:
This page denotes some artists
who walked the same paths as Sinatra, and acheived as great success,
both popularly and critically, from the smoothness of Nat King Cole and
Mel Torme, to the bright polish of Doris Day and Tony Bennett,
these artists, while not directly comparable to Sinatra, worked with
Frank, were friends with him, and have their own special place in the
pantheon of popular music. If you've just discovered Sinatra,
you may also want to listen to these fantastic singers. Nat King
Cole: The World of Nat
King Cole
Capitol Records 74712 [CD];
Released January 25, 2005
1. Smile - (1961 version)
2. It's Only A Paper Moon - (with The King Cole Trio)
3. Straighten Up And Fly Right - (with The King Cole Trio)
4. (Get Your Kicks) On Route 66 - (with The King Cole Trio)
5. (I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons - (with The King
Cole Trio)
6. Nature Boy - (with The King Cole Trio)
7. Too Young
8. Unforgettable
9. Walkin' My Baby Back Home - (with The King Cole Trio/Stan
Kenton & His Orchestra)
10. Orange Colored Sky - (with Stan Kenton & His
Orchestra)
11. Send For Me
12. Blossom Fell, A
13. Mona Lisa
14. Quizas, Quizas, Quizas
15. On The Street Where You Live
16. Almost Like Being In Love
17. Darling, Je Vous Aime Beaucoup
18. Ramblin' Rose
19. Let There Be Love - (with George Shearing Quintet)
20. You Stepped Out Of A Dream - (with The King Cole Trio)
21. When I Fall In Love
22. L-O-V-E
23. Let's Face The Music And Dance
24. Just One Of Those Things
25. Day In Day Out
26. Thou Swell - (live at the Sands)
27. Unforgettable - (with Natalie Cole)
28. Stardust
REVIEW: What more can be said about Nat King Cole than
has already been said? His melancholy, rasping voice, so warm
and friendly, his remarkable string of singles, and his distinctive
vocal mannerisms and phrasings have endeard him to generations of music
lovers, myself included. And while there have been
innumerable greatest hits releases commemorating his artistry, this
single-disc collection, appearing 40 years after Cole's death in 1965,
can be counted as the best of them. Stuffed full with
twenty-eight tracks, receiving sparkling new remasterings,
and the booklet penned with loving attention by daughter
Natalie, this is the place to start with an appeciation
of the "King." It's important to know that though
popularly classified as a "pop" singer, Cole was rooted in
Jazz, starting out his career as a talented pianist
in his own jazz trio. It wasn't until later in his
career that he began to sing, and that his vocals, with his wide, open
vowels and whisky and cigarette tones, took center stage. The
CD is laid out mostly chronilogically, opening with the later
smash hit "Smile" but then giving several of Cole's
most popular recordings with his trio: "It's Only A Paper
Moon," the self-penned "Straighten Up and Fly Right," and the seminal
"Get Your Kicks (on Route 66)." These early songs show a
looser, bouncier Cole, full of jazz moments and phrasing that still had
a ways to go before it reached its zenith. But then
comes the kicker - a lush ballad, "I Love You (for Sentimental
Reasons)" wihch revealed to the world that Cole was an
enormously talented interpreter of love songs. More
followed: "Too Young," "Unforgettable," "When I Fall In Love,"
"Stardust," and "Mona Lisa." But Nat King Cole never
completely abandoned his jazz roots, often stepping out to swing with
"Orange Colored Sky," "Walking My Baby Back Home," "L-O-V-E," and a
rippingly live performance of "Thou Swell" from a series
at The Sands in Vegas. In all his recordings he
imparted a smile to the sad songs, and radiated pure joy in the uptempo
numbers; a remarkable trait that make every recording have a warm glow
which still stands out while listening
today. The album even has the good graces
to include the smash hit duet "Unforgettable" paied with his
daughter Natalie in a classy technical tour-de-force.
Doris
Day - Golden Girl: Columbia Recordings
1944-1966
Sony 65505 [CD];
Released June 1, 1999
DISC 1:
1. Sentimental Journey - (with Les Brown & His
Orchestra)
2. My Dreams Are Getting Better All the Time - (from "In
Society", with Les Brown & His Orchestra)
3. It's Magic - (from "Romance On The High Seas")
4. Love Somebody - (with Buddy Clark)
5. Tacos, Enchiladas And Beans - (previously unreleased)
6. Put 'Em In A Box, Tie Them With A Ribbon (And Throw 'Em
In The Deep Blue Sea) - (from "Romance On The High Seas
7. Someone Like You - (from "My Dream Is Yours")
8. That Old Feeling
9. Again - (from "Road House", with The Mellomen)
10. At The Cafe Rendezvous - (from "It's A Great Feeling")
11. You Can Have Him - (from "Miss Liberty", with Dinah
Shore)
12. Cuttin' Capers - (from "My Dream Is Yours")
13. Very Thought Of You, The - (from "Young Man With A
Horn", with Harry James & His Orchestra)
14. Too Marvelous For Words - (from "Young Man With A Horn",
with Harry James & His Orchestra)
15. I Only Have Eyes For You - (from "Tea For Two")
16. Crazy Rhythm - (from "Tea For Two", with Gene
Nelson/Page Cavanaugh Trio)
17. I've Never Been
In Love Before - (from "Guys And Dolls")
18. It's A Lovely Day Today - (from "Call me Madam")
19. You're Getting To Be A Habit With Me - (from "Lullaby Of
Broadway")
20. In A Shanty In Old Shanty Town - (from "Lullaby Of
Broadway", with Norman Luboff Choir/The Buddy Col
21. Lullaby Of Broadway - (from "Young Man With A Horn",
with Harry James & His Orchestra)
22. On Moonlight Bay - (from "On Moonlight Bay", with Norman
Luboff Choir/Paul Weston & His Orchestra)
23. Shanghai, (Why Did I Tell You I Was Going To) - (with
Paul Weston & His Orchestra)
DISC 2:
1. Baby Doll - (from "The Belle Of New York", with Paul
Weston & His Orchestra)
2. It Had To Be You - (from "I'll See You In My Dreams",
with Paul Weston & His Orchestra)
3. Sugarbush - (with Frankie Laine/Norman Luboff Choir/Paul
Weston & His Orchestra)
4. Guy Is A Guy, A - (with Paul Weston & His
Orchestra)
5. April In Paris - (from "April In Paris", with Norman
Luboff Choir/Percy Faith & His Orchestra)
6. Ain't We Got Fun? - (from "By The Light Of The Silvery
Moon", with Norman Luboff Choir/Paul Weston &
7. Black Hills Of Dakota, The - (from "Calamity Jane")
8. Secret Love - (from "Calamity Jane")
9. I Speak To The Stars - (previously unreleased, from
"Lucky Me")
10. If I Give My Heart To You - (with The Mellomen)
11. There's A Rising Moon - (from "Young At Heart")
12. Shaking The Blues Away - (from "Love Me Or Leave Me")
13. I'll Never Stop Loving You - (from "Love Me Or Leave
Me")
14. Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera, Sera) - (from "The
Man Who Knew Too Much")
15. There Once Was A Man - (from "The Pajama Game", with
John Raitt)
16. Everybody Loves A Lover
17. That Jane From Maine - (previously unreleased)
18. Pillow Talk - (stereo, from "Pillow Talk")
19. Lover Come Back - (stereo, from "Lover Come Back")
20. You're Good For Me - (previously unreleased, stereo)
21. My Romance - (stereo, from "Billy Rose's Jumbo")
22. Doin' What Comes Natur'lly - (stereo, from "Annie Get
Your Gun")
23. Let The Little Girl Limbo - (previously unreleased,
stereo)
24. Move Over Darling - (stereo, from "Move Over Darling")
25. Sorry - (stereo)
REVIEW:
Doris Day was a huge discovery for
me.
For years I considered her nothing more than the "eternal virgin" of a
series of romantic comedies with Rock Hudson, and a reclusive star with
a penchant for animals in her later years. But once I heard
some of her early recordings with that voice, that voice!
Well, it sent me just about as hard as when I first 'got'
Sinatra. See, I've discovered that Doris Day had two
voices. One, the one she developed for her film comedies and
novelty songs, was a big, brassy, Merman-esque instrument which I
simply can't abide. There are some albums which are ALL this
kind of blaring cacophony. But her other voice - the
one she made many records with - is all loveliness and trembling
softness, with a little catch that makes it sound as if she's thisclose
to breaking down and crying, that made me realize that this girl can
really SING! Nevermind that she eventually became the
archetype of the perfect mother, or that her hair eventually turned
into a self-parody of the whole 60s "flip" thing. During the
1950s and early 60s Doris Day had one of the most meltingly beautiful
tones in the whole wide world, and this two-disc collection captures a
large chunk of her career, from her early break into big bands with Les
Brown, to her being snagged by Columbia and put on the big
screen. One listen to "It's Magic" will turn your head, and
from there it's a short jaunt to other jewels like "That Old Feeling,"
"Again," "The Very Thought Of You," "My Romance," "There's A Rising
Moon," "April In Paris," and "It Had To Be You." As well as these
achingly lovely renditions, you'll also find several of the popular
hits which she scored - "Move Over Darling," "Que Sera, Sera," "Pillow
Talk" and many more. In fact, the one flaw in this set is
that it isn't a true retrospective of her recording career, focusing
more on her soundtrack output than her gems of albums, but it's all
done with so much taste, and an accompanying booklet which is filled
with wonderful notes and photos, that this album is a good place to
start. But there are individual albums which are essential as
well, such as Day By Day/Day By Night (two LPs onone CD), Sentimental Journey/Latin For Lovers , and What Every Girl Should Know/I Have Dreamed, all of which give ample evidence of the
Golden Girl's golden voice.
Mel
Torme: That's All
Columbia/Legacy 65165 [CD];
Released April 29, 1997
1.
I've Got You Under My Skin
2. That's All
3. What Is There to Say?
4. Do I Love You Because You're Beautiful?
5. Folks Who Live on the Hill
6. Isn't It a Pity?
7.
Hô-Bá-Lá-Lá
8. P.S. I Love You
9. Nearness of You
10. My Romance
11. Second Time Around
12. Haven't We Met?
13. I Know Your Heart
14. You'd Better Love Me
15. I See It Now
16. Once in a Lifetime
17. Hang on to Me
18. Seventeen
19. I Remember Suzanne
20. Only the Very Young
21. Paris Smiles
22. Ev'ry Day's a Holiday
23. One Little Snowflake
24. Christmas Song
REVIEW:
Mel Torme has always had a tough time
living down
the nickname given to him early on in his career: "The Velvet
Fog" - since his ultra-smooth baritone is indeed velvety soft
and has a reassuring burr to the tone that can elevate his ballads into
pure heaven. Torme can swing hard as well, and is
also a composer of some note, having penned the immortal holiday
classic "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open
Fire)." But it's the nickname that's stuck with him
throughout the years, and for good reason, as shown on this marvellous
1964 album released just prior to the British invasion. That's All
is very like many of Sinatra's albums from a decade before: relying on
songs cherry-picked from the great American songbook, "I've Got You
Under My Skin," "That's All," "Do I Love You Because You're
Beautiful?," "P.S. I Love You," "The Nearness Of You," "My Romance,"
and many more. Comparing the versions of these songs with
Sinatra is a fascinating exercise, since Torme had a much stronger
affinity with jazz stylings than Frank did, and his phrasing on songs
like "I've Got You Under My Skin" take just as much liberty with tempos
and bending notes than Frank did, but whereas Sinatra's
looseness with the melody and tempo gave the songs a taut tension,
nothing that Torme sings has that edge. His voice,
with it's supple softness and breathy rasp makes every song
here teddy-bear soft, and the rich arrangments, by Robert Mersey,
simply drench the songs in strings, or the occasional solo piano entry
(as on the lovely "Folks Who Live On The Hill"). The
original twelve track album has been very generously filled out by the
folks at Columbia/Legacy with an additional twelve tracks taken from
various singles in the vaults, all of which match the
tenuous, gentle mood that's set. The producers have
even tacked on Torme's "Christmas Song" at the end, even though it, and
the preceding holiday songs are a bit incongruous with the
rest of the album. Fine, detailed notes accompany the
booklet, and this album is a great place to start to hear the genius of
Mel Torme.
Dinah
Shore: Dinah Sings, Andre Previn Plays/Somebody Loves Me
EMI
International 4930672 [CD];
Released December 28, 1999
1.
Man I Love (Strike Up the
Band)
2. April in Paris
3. That Old Feeling
4. I've Got You Under My Skin
5. Then I'll Be Tired of You
6. Sleepy Time Gal
7. My Melancholy Baby
8. My Funny Valentine
9. It Had to Be You
10. I'll Be Seeing You
11. If I Had You
12. It's Easy to
Remember
13. East of the Sun (And West of the Moon)
14. I Hadn't Anyone Till You
15. When I Grow Too Old to Dream
16. Something to Remember You By
17. Remember/All Alone/Always
18. I Only Have Eyes for You
19. My Buddy
20. Somebody Loves Me
REVIEW:
OK, here's where I'm going to
show just
how old I really am. Growing up, I always had the impression
that Dinah Shore was nothing more than a television talk-show
host. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that she was
first and foremost a singer - huh? But these two
albums, recorded in the early 60s with Andre Previn, the first
with Dinah and Andre on piano, the second album with
a complete orchestra, is a real eye-opener. Although
not blessed with as pure a voice as Doris Day, or without the
jazz background of Ella Fitzgerald, Dinah is posessed of a
voice which has a richly melodramatic tone, a vibrato that serves the
song rather than detracts from it, and, at least on these two
albums, sings song which are perfectly suited to her broken-hearted
ingenue persona. If these albums have any particular jazz
seasonings to them, you can blame it entirely on Previn, who's
solo piano runs on the first album are very restrained and
stylish, giving the entire album a smoky lounge flavor
a several cuts above most acts. The songs
here are mostly heartbreakers, with "The Man I Love," "That Old
Feeling, "Then I'll Be Tired Of You," and "I'll Be Seeing You"
playing perfectly into Dinah's wistful readings and Previn's spare
accompainment. Other songs, like "If I Had You,"
"I've Got You Under My Skin" and "April In Paris" have a
melancholy longing to them which never rises to the heights of elation,
but skim the edges, giving the readings a nice
tension. The second album paired here, Somebody
Loves Me, is lighter, and with a richer texture
than the previous album, given the added strings and subtle orchestra -
but it's still thick with ballads, as track after
track is given over to Dinah to highlight her wonderful, rich
alto. If you find yourself captured by her voice as I was,
you'll also want to check out other albums like Yes Indeed/Fabulous Hits of Dinah Shore, Dinah Sings Some Blues With Red/Dinah, and a fine compilation of her early hits: The Dinah Shore Collection: 1942-1948.
Tony
Bennett:
The Essential
Columbia/Legacy
86634 [CD];
Released July 23, 2002
DISC 1:
1. Because Of You - (mono)
2. Cold, Cold Heart - (mono)
3. Blue Velvet - (mono)
4. Rags To Riches - (mono)
5. Stranger In Paradise - (mono)
6. Sing You Sinners - (mono)
7. Boulevard Of Broken Dreams - (mono)
8. Just In Time - (mono)
9. It Amazes Me
10. Love Look Away
11. Firefly
12. Put On A Happy Face
13. Best Is Yet To Come, The
14. Tender Is The Night
15. Once Upon A Time
16. I Left My Heart In San Francisco
17. I Wanna Be Around
18. For The Good Life
19. This Is All I Ask
20. When Joanna Loved Me
21. Rules Of The Road, The - (previously unreleased)
DISC 2:
1. Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me)
2. If I Ruled The World - (from "Pickwick")
3. Fly Me To The Moon (In Other Words)
4. Shadow Of Your Smile, The - (from "The Sandpiper")
5. Smile
6. Very Thought Of You, The
7. For Once In My Life
8. Yesterday I Heard The Rain
9. My Favorite Things
10. I Do Not Know A Day I Did Not Love You
11. How Do You Keep The Music Playing?
12. When Do The Bells Ring For Me?
13. Night And Day
14. Last Night When We Were Young
15. Steppin' Out With My Baby
16. It Don't Mean A Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing -
(live)
17. Mood Indigo
18. Keep The Faith, Baby - (with k.d lang)
REVIEW:
Tony
Bennett is an
interesting phenomenon in pop music: generally regarded as an excellent
pop singer, with his cheery, somewhat edgy vocals and quick vibrato
either driving off listeners, or endearing them to
him, Bennett went for years without a recording contract, but has, in
recent years, gained a growing
critical and and a
larger fan base than he ever
enjoyed in his early career. This double
disc retrospective is a fine introduction to Bennett's straight ahead
pop style, showing him able to swing hard when called upon, but
generally delivers extremely competent readings of songs which
occasionally veer into operatic intenstity, such as the melodramatic
"Boulevard Of Broken Dreams," "Who Can I Turn To?" or the Broadway
smash "Stranger In Paradise." In fact, it's
Bennett's song selection which lands him more in the Johnny
Mathis or Andy Williams' camp than in Sinatra's, with soft
popular songs like "Just In Time," "Smile," "Blue Velvet,"
" The Shadow Of Your Smile" and "My Favorite Things" hardly
considered "essential" on any songwriting scale, but included in this
concise overview of his entire career. In fact, it's
interesting to watch Bennett's transformation from an earnest Italian
crooner into a jazz cat in his later years, recasting
himself in the Saloon singer mode, which is actually a big
deptarture from his straight-ahead pop singer duties in the
1960s. Bennett began
investigating Jazz arrangments and phrasing in the
1970s, when his star was on the wane, and so by the time
he was rediscovered in the early 90s, the transformation was
complete, giving Bennett access to critical plaudits
from next-generation hipsters like Elvis Costello
and k.d. lang (a duet with whom is featured on the final
track.) Bennett doesn't mine the same emotional tracts as
Sinatra, and his repetoire is about a decade removed from Frank's, but
he's lasted a long time due to his artistry, canny sense of
traditional music trends, and, let's be honest, to the intelligent
handling of his image by his manager/son. For further
listening, check out Perfectly Frank (his tribute to Sinatra), the
electric live document At Carnegie Hall, and his collaboration with Count Basie, Basie Swings/Bennett Sings.
Keely
Smith: Politely/Swingin' Pretty
Collector's
Choice 146 [CD]; Released
November 14, 2000
1. Sweet And Lovely
2. Cocktails For Two
3. Song Is You, The
4. I'll Get By (As Long As I Have You)
5. Lullaby Of The Leaves
6. On The Sunny Side Of The Street
7. I Can't Get Started
8. I'll Never Smile Again
9. S'Posin'
10. East Of The Sun (And West Of The Moon)
11. All The Way
12. I Never Knew
13. It's Magic
14. It's Been A Long, Long Time
15. Stormy Weather
16. Indian Love Call
17. Nearness Of You, The
18. What Is This Thing Called Love?
19. Man I Love, The
20. You're Driving Me Crazy
21. Stardust
22. There Will Never Be Another You
23. Someone To Watch Over Me
24. What Can I Say After I Say I'm Sorry?
REVIEW:
Keely
Smith is one
of the great unheralded songstresses of American popular
music, and this long-overdue double disc package of two of her greatest
albums on one CD is very welcome indeed. Long part
of a popular husband/wife performing team with Louis Prima,
Keely finally stepped out as a solo artist in 1957 with her debut I Wish You Love which showcased her powerful performing chops
and unique sense of humor which she imbued many of her songs
with. But it's on these later discs for Capitol, which paired
her with Billy May (for Politely!) and Nelson
Riddle (for Swingin' Pretty) that Keely's
interpretive talents and over-abundance of charm play
through. May brings his formidable brassy charts to the fore
for Politely! giving each song a bright sunny
polish which perfectly compliments Keely's shiny/happy vocals -
especially noticable on "The Song Is You" which is a
far sunnier reading than Sinatra's early Dorsey
arrangment. This album isn't a swinger, like May's
were for Frank, but it has a nice and easy bounce which Keely keeps
nicely in step with coy readings of "On The Sunny Side Of The Street,"
and "I Can't Get Started." Keely is
passionate on the ballads, with big-voiced readings of "I'll
Never Smile Again" and "East of the Sun (And West Of The Moon)"
and plays the sweet ingenue on "Cocktails for Two" and
"S'posin'." On Swingin' Pretty, Nelson
Riddle changes the mood with his unsurpassed orchestral
colors, giving "It's Magic" a subtle chemistry, but able to
swing large with lush brass sweeps on "It's Been A Long, Long
Time." The dramatic changes of "It's Been A Long Long Time"
and the patoral imagry on "Indian Love Call" are prototypical
Riddle, and Keely's vocals are exceedingly confident and alternately
brassy or sweet. Listen to her amazing
slides and vocal growls on "What Is This Thing Called Love?"
or the juicy vocal stylings of "The Man I Love" to
hear lost treasure. This CD is a wonderful
eye-opener for those who have never heard Keely's talent.
Also, check out her latter-day Keely Sings Sinatra for a great tribute album to Frank.
Vic
Damone: That Towering Feeling!/On
The Swingin' Side
Collectables 6467 [CD];
Released June
6, 2000
1. You Stepped Out
Of A Dream
2. Wait Till You See Her
3. Out Of Nowhere
4. Song Is You, The
5. Spring Is Here
6. Let's Fall In Love
7. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes, (When Your Heart's On Fire)
8. Time On My Hands (You In My Arms)
9. I'm Glad There Is You
10. Touch Of Your Lips, The
11. All The Things You Are
12. Cheek To Cheek
13. Falling In Love With Love
14. It's All Right With Me
15. When My Sugar Walks Down The Street (All The Birdies Go
Tweet-Tweet-Tweet)
16. Cry Me A River
17. Home
18. Swingin' Down The Lane
19. I Cried For You (Now It's Your Turn To Cry)
20. Speak Low
21. It's A Wonderful World
22. Girl Of My Dreams
23. Deep Purple
24. Toot, Toot, Tootsie
25. On The Street Where You Live
26. War And Peace
27. Do I Love You (Because You're Beautiful)
28. Affair To Remember, An
29. Gigi
REVIEW:
Pity
the poor
singers who follow in the footsteps of the innovators. Vic
Damone is another of those singers whose careers have been eclipsed by
other artists, like Mel Torme, Tony Bennett and (of course)
Sinatra. But although he hasn't gotten the ink which those
others have, his talent and versatility is easily on par with them, and
his voice, which is a smooth baritone, is fabulous, is perhaps less
distinctive than the former artists. Perhaps that's why Vic
Damone hasn't gotten the same accolades, but regardless, this CD, which
gathers two of his finest LP's on one CD is an ideal introduction to
his polished, exquisitely-produced albums, which mine the great
American songbook, and receive interesting, often electrifying
arrangments, which both swing and swoon, from the jaunty "Let's Fall In
Love" to the somber "Speak Low," from the hot zing of "When My Sugar
Walks Down The Street," to the cool shade of "Do I Love You Because
You're Beautiful," Vic really knows how to sing a song and make it
sound fresh and alive. Vic isn't one to reinvent the wheel,
and unlike Sinatra, his interpretations never reveal any hidden depths
in the lyric, but you'll hardly mind as he moves easily from song to
song, wearing each number as if it was tailor-made for him
alone. I mean, if anyone can take the cornball sentiment of
"Toot, Toot, Tootsie" (an old Al Jolson chestnut) and turn it into a
brass and vibes swinger - that takes guts, and it comes off
brilliantly. But there are other riches here, from the
lullabye softness of "Wait 'Til You See Her," to the lilting Vienna
waltz of "War and Peace," to the brass fanfares of "Let's Do It (Let's
Fall In Love)" and "Falling In Love with Love." His voice is
all masculine charm and alternately warm and commanding
tones. Great mood music, and just the drop in the bucket -
check out these other albums as well: Linger
Awhile/My Baby Loves To Swing, Closer
Than A Kiss/This Game Of Love, and Why
Can't I Walk Away/Stay With Me.
June
Christy: Something Cool
Blue Note
Records 34069 [CD];
Released October 23, 2001
1.
Something Cool
2. It Could Happen to You
3. Lonely House
4. This Time the Dream's on Me
5. Night We Called It a Day
6. Midnight Sun
7. I'll Take Romance
8. Stranger Called the Blues
9. I Should Care
10. Softly, As in a Morning Sunrise
11. I'm Thrilled
REVIEW:
June
Christy was
known in her day as one of the school of 'cool' singers, those jazz
sirens who sang with what sounded like an emotional detachment
from the music, knocking out numbers with a careless ease
which make listeners suspect the singers were singing for their own
amusement, no one else's. This album, Somthing
Cool is considered by many to be the pinnacle of
this movement, containing supremely off-the-cuff readings of jazz
standards with what sounds like consumate ease. Vocally, June
Christy has a voice of smooth, polished bronze, with just a hint of a
rasp, giving her singing a warmth and burr which eases the otherwise
clear smoothness of her vocals. Christy sings with perfect
control and pitch, bouncing up to notes, or sliding into them
with an ease and clarity which is the benchmark of her
talent. Peter Rugolo, an unheralded conductor/arranger, is
the perfect accomplice with light, punchy charts that never
think of overwhelming the singer, but have a jazz trio flavor which
Christy pounces upon. Light on the strings, but cautious with
the use of brass and woodwinds, the playing is always finger-light, and
sympathetic to the needs of the singer. From the opening
notes of the title track, to "It Could Happen to You" and the ice-cold
ballad "I Should Care," Christy never lets her heart creep out onto her
sleeve, even when she sings the bleak "Lonely House" or the alternately
zinging "I'm Thrilled" with all the ardor of an iceberg. But
that's not to say these songs aren't thrilling - Christy's perfectly
etched techniques are too good to be lightly dismissed, and this album,
along with others in her well-represented
discography, are
mini-masterpieces of the cool genre.
Jack
Jones: Wives and Lovers/Dear Heart
MCA/Universal
19364 [CD];
Released December 28, 1999
1.
Wives And Lovers
2. Toys In The Attic
3. Song About Love
4. I'm Moody
5. Angel Eyes
6. Fly Me To The Moon
7. Charade
8. I Wish You Love
9. Nina Never Knew
10. Summertime Promises
11. I See Your Face Before Me
12. Come Rain Or Come Shine
13. Dear Heart
14. You're Sensational
15. Love Is Here To Stay
16. I'll Get By
17. You'd Better Love Me
18. All The Things You Are
19. Emily
20. Thank Heaven For Little
21. I'm Glad There Is You
22. When She Makes Music
23. Somethings Gotta Give
24. You're My Girl
REVIEW:
Jack
Jones is very
similar to Vic Damone in talent and style, blessed with a gorgeous
baritone voice and sense of songcraft that, in one sense, surpasses
Sinatra in sheer loveliness of tone; but closer examination shows that
Frank remains the champ when it comes to breathing life into a lyric,
and making a song his own. Jack Jones, like Damone and other
singers, fall more closely into the range of Dick Haymes, singers who
enrich songs with their innate sense of phrasing and natural talent,
but unlike Sinatra, don't take it to the next level. These
two LPs released in that golden era between the rise (and fall) of
Elvis Presley, and before the suffocating entry of the Beatles onto
American shores, are richly orchestrated mood pieces, perfect for the
swinging bachelor, or just in creating effervescent
soundscapes. Jack Jones' voice is wonderful - smooth, rich,
and expressive, and he sings these ballads with all the knowledge of
just how good he sounds. Strangely, there's alot of echo
added to Jack's voice on the Wives and Lovers LP,
but I'm assuming that's the way the original LP was mastered.
The arrangments, by Pete Ling, Glenn Osser, Marty Paich and Ralph
Carmichael, are all golden strings and muted brass - giving the album a
sameness which let's each song melt into each other seamlessly, but
also tends to make the album rather forgettable - none of the songs or
arrangement jump out at the listener, it's all the sameness and
consistancy of vanilla ice cream (reallllly rich and luscious vanilla
ice cream). Frank could never sing an album like this, but
then again, he wouldn't want to - he'd miss the snap and sparkle and
drama of living the lyric, but no complaints here, Jack Jones is a
marvellous singer, and he's given songs by Bacharach, Mercer, Mancini,
Cahn/VanHeusen, and Deitz and Schwartz - in other words this is all
good stuff. Best tracks include the thick jazz-like
arrangment of "Come Rain Or Come Shine" with attention-getting trumpets
and a cool, lounge-like piano accompianment and the easy swing of
"You're Sensational" (which, I have to admit, is sung better than Frank
- by miles). Other classic albums by this wonderful singer
include: Where
Love Has Gone/My Kind Of Town, She Loves Me & There's Love... . I own them all - they're that
good.
Billy
May: A
Band Is Born/Big Band Bash
Collector's Choice Music 135 [CD];
Released
January 9, 2001
1.
All of Me
2. If I Had You
3. Charmaine
4. Unforgettable
5. Fat Man Boogie
6. Lean Baby
7. My Silent Love
8. There Is No Greater Love
9. I Guess I'll Have to Change My Plan
10. Mayhem
11. When My Sugar Walks Down the Street
12. Lulu's Back in Town
13. You're Driving Me Crazy
14. When Your Lover Has Gone
15. Perfidia
16. My Last Affair
17. Easy Street
18. Gone With the Wind
19. Diane
20. Please Be Kind
21. Tenderly
22. Orchids in the Moonlight
23. Romance
24. From the Land of the Sky Blue Water
REVIEW: Frank
loved working with Billy May, and in some ways, I actually
prefer Billy's charts to any other arrangers, since he's so up-front in
his attitudes. There's something innately refreshing
about the straightforwardness of a Billy May arrangment, with it's
dramatic brass flourishes and thunderous rhythms. The
crispness of his woodwinds compliment the bright, bouncing
brass and the often grumbling lower
instruments. It's great dance music, and these two
discs, taken from 1951 and 1953 respectively, show the evolution
of dance band music from the genteel Glenn Miller and
mannered Tommy Dorsey into a heavier, more 'vulgar' direction,
which I really enjoy. This is the insouciant big band
which spawned Spy Jazz, Crime Jazz and the entire James Bond
music rage later on, as well as what was imbibed by Frank Sinatra
during his 1950s Capitol swing albums. There's some
revolutionary stuff on here as well, from the maniac instrumental
coo-coo-ga-gah found on "You're Driving Me Crazy" to the loose-limbed
jive found on "Lean Baby" (a virtual copycat arrangment of Frank's
first single for Capitol), or the ticking-bomb percussion found on
"Perfidia" - all it's missing is some surf guitar and a
martini (and perhaps a really cool car chase). Collector's
Choice music should be applauded for rescuing these rare, out-of-print
albums from dusty vinyl bins, as fans of Frank should eagerly snap
these Capitol gems up. They've got attitude, verve,
and a perponderance of style which just screams "Sinatra!" -
all that's missing is The Voice. I would highly
recommend checking out May's other solo platters: Big Fat Brass/Bill's Bag (love that title), Naughty Operetta/Plays For Fancy
Dancin', and The Girls and Boys on Broadway/The Sweetest
Swingin' Sounds of "No Strings."
