The Best of Joe Williams: The Roulette, Solid State & Blue Note Years
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Audio CD (18 November, 1997)
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Editorial Review

These classic recordings, from 1957 through 1970, feature the great baritone's ornate, debonair, and dramatic renditions of blues and ballads Williams's striking, rich tone and polish won him access to the star-studded big bands and combos here: those of Jimmy Jones, Thad Jones and Mel Lewis; Harry "Sweets" Edison, Horace Ott, and Jimmy Mundy; and, of course, the orchestra of his musical inspiration and mentor, Count Basie. The album starts out with "Everyday I Have the Blues," a Memphis Slim tune and 1950 Lowell Fulson hit that would become Williams's own signature tune, thanks to this version with Basie. Also here is "Roll 'Em Pete," a Joe Turner blues (a sardonic love pitch to a girl who lives up on a hill) that inspired Williams early in his career. --Peter Monaghan ... Read more

Reviews (3)

The Best Joe Williams is ALL Joe Williams
Do you know an untasteful fruit among all the tasteful dozens of fruits Mr.Williams has legate to America and the world? Difficult to find 2 because I have found only one among the extensive list of Mr. Williams albums as coperformer and as main performer. Particularly about his Blue Note, Solid State output it is a pity that fans do not have all the material available. Particularly, Williams collaboration with the Thad Jones & Mel Lewis band is fantastic (a Solid State album). If you just want a fully representative Joe Williams album, buy it. If you are a fan, also buy it because there are some few great gems here.

Nobody knew the blues like Joe
This compilation of hits represent virtually the full spectrum of the talent of Joe Williams. His silky smooth handling of such ballads as "I was telling her about you" and "Cherry" harken back to his early days singing with Dinah Washington in Lionel Hampton's band. Other tunes, such as "Everyday I have the blues" and "If I were a bell" chronicle his ultra successful stint with the Basie band during the 1950's and 60's. Whether shouting the blues, or interpreting a timeless ballad, Joe Williams's clarity and emotion shines through every track.

Currently the best of this Ballad and Blues Master
Jazz is currently not served very well by today's crop of technically muscle-bound musicians. Many play "at" their audiences rather than tell us something we need to know. That's just one reason why the passing of Joe Williams at the end of March is a sad event. He was a master of ballads and a city-style blues shouter who ranked with the very, very best, such as Big Joe Turner. He was also a superb entertainer as anyone who saw him in a supper club will know. While the classic Verve CD "Count Basie Swings, Joe Williams Sings" is an essential part of any jazz collection (no-one did more than Williams to revive the fortunes of the Count Basie Orchestra in the 1950s) this Blue Note CD is probably the best selection you can have of all his styles. And Joe is in fine, young voice throughout. It opens with a less familiar but roaring version of "Everyday I Have The Blues," continues with a few ballads such as "When Did You Leave Heaven?" and contains the great verson of "Goin' To Chicago" with Lambert, Hendricks and Ross. There is also plenty of Basie material including "Roll 'Em Pete." Make this your first or second choice Joe Williams record. You will never regret it. ... Read more

Asin: B000005GVD

Absolutely the Best
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (05 December, 2000)
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Features

• Original recording remastered

Reviews (1)

Nowhere near the best
This CD gives a distorted picture of who Big Bill Broonzy really was.
Filled with Broonzy's renditions of spirituals, folk and country songs such as "Sixteen Tons", "This Train" and "The Midnight Special", it forgoes the excellent and highly influential bluesman that was William Lee Conley Broonzy, in favor of the ageing songster who traveled around Europe playing folk songs, because that's what people wanted him to play.

Big Bill Broonzy was a huge source of inspiration to Muddy Waters (who recorded a tribute album of Broonzy's songs), Memphis Slim (who did the same), J.B. Lenoir, Little Walter and countless others - including Eric Clapton.

He was also a tremendous guitar player, a powerful singer, and the author of countless blues songs which should have been here instead. I mean, where are "Keep Your Hands Off Her", "All By Myself", "When I Been Drinking", "Worrying You Off My Mind", "I Feel So Good" and "Going Back To Arkansas"? And how can you have a Bill Broonzy-collection without "Key To The Highway" and "I Can't Be Satisfied"?

If you want the best of Big Bill, go for "Where The Blues Began", "The Young Big Bill Broonzy" and "I Can't Be Satisfied". And perhaps "Big Bill's Blues".
'Cause no single disc is going to do justice to Big Bill Broonzy. ... Read more

Asin: B000053GTZ
Sales Rank: 236596

The Audience With Betty Carter
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Audio CD (25 October, 1990)
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Reviews (5)

Clear evidence Jazz died in the 1960's
I love Jazz. I love the Blues. I love raw Jazz and Blues singers. I love gutsy experimentation. But, by the time this album came out, Jazz vocals had been developed as far as they were going to go. Betty Carter attempts to innovate in much the same way the Serialists tried to innovate in Classical music--and the result is just about as attractive. This screeching is unlistenable in the 21st century and is only valuable as a historical record of how hard a Jazz vocalist had to try to do anything meaninful after the rise of Rock & Roll. Sad really.

Sheer freedom of spirit
I love jazz and I love Betty Carter. Jazz is about the immediacy of the creative process. No other music allows so much personal freedom and no singer takes advantage of it like Betty Carter. Her improvisations are far-out, her phrasing almost unbelievably laid back. She soars, swoops and dances, creating bold strokes, often sounding like a sax or trumpet. Her voice isn't what most people think of as beautiful. She's not gonna sing you a pretty song. Go elsewhere for that. This is a jazz singer's singer, an original, a woman who does it HER way. Listen to learn about phrasing, note bending, scatting, and especially about courage, conviction and sheer freedom of spirit.

Sheer freedom of spirit!
I love jazz and I love Betty Carter. Jazz is about the immediacy of the creative process. No other music allows so much personal freedom and no singer takes advantage of it like Betty Carter. Her improvisations are far-out, her phrasing almost unbelievably laid back. She soars, swoops and dances, creating bold strokes, often sounding like a sax or trumpet. Her voice isn't what most people have learned to think of as beautiful. She's not gonna sing you a pretty song. Go elsewhere for that. This is a jazz singer's singer, an original, a woman who does it HER way. Listen to learn about courage, conviction, joy and sheer freedom of spirit. ... Read more

Asin: B00000477S
Sales Rank: 64788

Everything I Have Is Yours: The Best of the M-G-M Years
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Audio CD (25 January, 1994)
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Reviews (9)

One of the most distinctive voices in popular music
Billy Eckstine was legendary. He is one of those performers I wish I could have seen in person. His distinctive baritone voice made anything he sang extraordinary. This 2 CD set is one of the most well thought out and enjoyable collections I own. Billy Eckstine recorded for M-G-M between 1947 and 1954. Here you will find the original recordings of many of Billy's biggest solo hits as well as more jazz oriented tunes backed by Woody Herman's and George Shearing's groups. But I prefer the ballads, particularly 1950's "My Foolish Heart" and his signature song "I Apologize". Perhaps my favorite tune on the entire set is the final one. "Passing Strangers" is a duet he recorded with Sarah Vaughn back in 1957. This one will literally send chills up and down your spine. It is an extraordinary recording! There are 42 tracks in this collection and over two hours of recorded bliss. This is a great collection to "crash" with. The 24 page booklet is one of the best I've seen with extensive biographical information, rare photos and a short discography. This is a collection of timeless classics that you can enjoy for a lifetime. Highly recommended.

A master voice of his time
Being only 17, my father introduced me to Billy Ecksitne, and wow! He has such an amazing voice, I hear it goes for three octaves! Everything I have is yours, Foosl rush in, Blue Moon are all beautiful ballads, MrB's Blues is a bit of a bebop big band track, Temptaiton has quite an avante-garde melody, Somehow and bewildered feature beautiful backing singingadn are forties type ballads. Caravan is a very unusual song, almost Arabian in parts, Body and soul and my foolish heart are straight forward ballads but have such great melodies, the foru tracks with Sarah Vaughan are at times unusual but often ballads. I wanna be loved, you've got me crying again and I've never been in love before are like My foolish heart, soft and melodious but then comes the big hit, I appologise, such a well sung, emotional ballad. Then there's foru Jazz songs, As long as I live, I left my hat in Haiti, Here comes the blues and life is just a bowl of cherries. Woody herman sings with him on that last one, Then there's two ballads, Wonder why and I'm a fool to want you. Takign a chance on love and You're driving me crazy are cool jazz, Early autumn is a fantastic ballad and Tenderly-April in paris are easy,listening jazz, a bit gloomy in some tracks, Eckstines' vocals impeccable. Coquette is a cheery forties ballad as is the follow up and then there's two blues/jazz songs in How High the Moon and St.Louis blues, followed by two beautiful ballads, don't get around much anymore and lost inloveliness the album is concluded by Passing strangers, a beautiful, emotion ballad with Sarah Vaughan. Not only is Eckstine superb but the people backing him, Hugo Winterhalter, Russ Case, Pete Rugolo, Woody Herman, George Shearign quintet, the Bobby tucker quartet, Lou bring, Nelson Riddle, The metronome all stars [featuing Teddy Wilson and Lester Young!] and Hal Mooney, relive [or imagine] the fifties with not only one of the best singer of modern music history, bt also a good lot of badn leaders and instrumentalists from the period too!

I've known of Billy for years
When I was a pre-teen (1943 to 1955) my mother listened to Billy Eckstine (and others) regularly and I enjoyed his music from the begining. I never thought I could get collections of his music again until I just did a search in his name and found so much of his music had been copied onto present day media. I now can relive all the nostalga that his voice elicits. No one had or has a voice like Billy Eckstine's. ... Read more

Asin: B0000046QG
Sales Rank: 13238

In the Wee Small Hours
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Audio CD (26 May, 1998)
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Editorial Review

The first of many artistic milestones in the long and illustriouscollaboration of Frank Sinatra and arranger Nelson Riddle that began at CapitolRecords, In the Wee Small Hours is a first in other notable ways, aswell: it was the pair's first 12-inch LP; their first album devoted entirely toballads; the first "concept album," a program of songs designed to beheard in a particular sequence that sustains a mood and suggests a story; theintroduction ofSinatra's definitive "saloon singer" persona; and thefirst flowering of Sinatra's mature artistic sensibility.Oh, and it's amasterpiece, too.The cover portrait suggests the mood of late-night desolationalmost as effectively as the music, with Sinatra in the corner, smoking asolitary cigarette on deserted street illuminated only by the a foggy, blue-green glow of lamplight.Loneliness, thy name is Frank!They say that memoriesof Ava Gardner caused him to break down after finishing this aching version of"When Your Lover Has Gone."Riddle's clarinet theme for "What Isthis Thing Called Love?" is as haunting as Cole Porter's melody itself. And if there's a more devastating evocation of solitude than "It NeverEntered My Mind"... well it must be on Only the Lonely.With songslike "I'll Be Around" and "Dancing on the Ceiling" tosuggest at least the hope of hope, Wee Small Hours may flirt withdespair, but never succumbs to it.It's the kind of comforting company thatmisery likes best.--Jim Emerson ... Read more

Features

• Original recording remastered

Reviews (62)

Sinatra's minor-key masterpiece
As the first Nelson Riddle-arranged 12-inch LP that Sinatra recorded (Songs For Young Lovers/Swing Easy is a compilation of two 10" albums), this record marked the start of that amazing cycle of Capitol albums that still stand as the artistic peak of Sinatra's career. This could also be thought of as the first concept album, composed entirely of ballads pertaining to loss, loneliness, yearning, regret, and sadness. (Or, put another way, white blues for the WWII generation.) A quiet, late-night album, epitomized by the noir-kitsch of the cover painting----Sinatra was already proving adroit at exploiting the 'saloon-singer' iconography. So In the Wee Small Hours is certainly pivotal, but also very worthwhile on it's own merits. I might prefer to throw on Swingin' Affair, or Songs For Swingin' Lovers, or Swingin' Session more often (it's hard to beat Sinatra in an 'up' mood), but these are some of the best ballads that Sinatra ever did in the studio. "Deep In A Dream" is one of the finest perfomances of this type by anyone, but it's the cumulative impact of the well-programmed sixteen songs here that is truly remarkable.

Also, it's nice that there are no 'bonus' tracks included. The original 16 are plenty, heard without distracting additions. When I was growing up, we searched for imports of Beatles albums because they often had 14 songs, as opposed to 11 on the chopped-up American versions. Odd to think that shortly after the birth of the LP record, Sinatra was giving people a 16-song album that was also a well-thought-out artistic whole. Most people wouldn't catch on to doing albums this way for another dozen years or so, and even then, most wouldn't succeed this well.

Sinatra's finest moment is his saddest...
The man never fails to impress, even after being long gone. "In the Wee Small Hours" is one album that reminded everyone that Frank was much more than a one-sided lively swinger. Sure, anyone could turn to "Songs for Swingin' Lovers" (a superb album in its own right and the perfect counter-listen) or any of his more commercial hits in his later years and be mildly entertained. However, Frank showcased his abilities to the fullest with his sad concepts, conveying a sense not seen in any singer before or since.

Every track creates a unified somber sound that perfectly accents the cover art (Frank standing outside alone under street lights late at night, the imagery he popularized). The opening notes of the title song will draw you in and lead you into Duke Ellington's infamous 'Mood Indigo' and the rest is just as good to listen to. The album never skips a beat and there are absolutely no fillers to be found here. The love gone wrong ballad concept may be the case, but whether you relate with the Gardner-Sinatra relationship or not, you will still enjoy the music just the same.

Okay, so Frank wasn't a songwriter, but if it weren't for his signature touch, the mood just wouldn't have had that same feel. The songs simply can't be sung by another person. It's what makes "In the Wee Small Hours" one of the best of all ballad collections by anyone. You won't be disappointed. Prepare for some amazing late-night listening. Although Ava left Frank with sad thoughts in mind, what resulted arguably turned out to be his finest moment.

Sinatra's best and maybe all of pop music's best
Ten years before the Beatles were getting credit for making the LP more than just a collection of album fillers to sit next to the 45 singles, Frank Sinatra was mastering te Long Playing Album with concept collections on Capital Records. Ironically, it was Capital who were the american label for the Beatles in the 1960's (EMI being the primary label in England). In the Wee Small Hours is not only my favorite studio, non best of, cd, It maybe the greatest pop music album ever. Sinatra also recorded masters such as Frank Sinatra Sings for Only the Lonely and September of my Years. Yes, The Beatles, The Who, and Springsteen created some all time great studio albums. However, this is pure magic. The mood set by Frank's voice as an instrument in it's own right, and the rapture of Nelson Riddle's conducting places this as one of the most artistic moments in any ones carrer. ... Read more

Asin: B000006OHD

Ella & Louis
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Audio CD (07 March, 2000)
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Editorial Review

What we have here is the mating of honey and molasses. Or is it the sound of melted butter over gravel?Never mind--sweeter, more joyous music has never been recorded (although the follow-up, Ella and Louis Again, may be even better). You can't listen to these two without smiling. It's such an inevitable pairing that you wonder what titanic forces of nature could have kept Ella and Satchmo apart until they made this record together in 1957, accompanied by the Oscar Peterson trio and Buddy Rich on drums. The songs are standards--extraordinary standards, of course, like "Moonlight in Vermont" and "A Foggy Day"--but nirvana is reached on "Cheek to Cheek." Heaven. --Jim Emerson ... Read more

Reviews (33)

Convergence without Compromise
You could not have more of a contrast between two voices between Ella and Louis. Ella's: like a glass of warm milk, silky and smooth. Louis': like a bear hug, rough and tumble. Who would think this combination would work? Both artists had such huge successes singing on their own and have such distinct styles, that you would think that their voices would conflict with each other in an egomaniacal disaster.

And yet there is a convergence without compromise. Their voices play off of each other, complementing each other's features, and yet nothing is lost in each's distinctness. They both bring everything they have to the table, and magically somehow, the table is big enough to fit everything.

And then there is Louis' trumpet, with such tone that you'd think there was a third voice on this album. Such raw emotion, it almost speaks to the listener.

This might sound like the most pretentious statement of the week, I must admit. Yet listen to the interplay of voices in "Cheek to Cheek", the trumpet solo in "Moonlight in Vermont", the tranquility of "The Nearness of You", the subtle swing of "They Can't Take That Away From Me" and you will see that what I said doesn't even come close to encapsulating what this record is.

I don't feel this way about too many albums, jazz or not. I don't go out and make statements like this frequently; I am almost ashamed at how culture-snobbish it sounds. But it's sincere. Listen to this album, and you'll see what I mean.

5 diamonds, not stars
This is what I call sublime of jazz. I first caught hold of this super duo when I heard "Our love is here to stay" and "Let's call the whole thing off" sung by Louis Armstrong (only Louis' verse of these two songs were used in the movie) in "When Harry met Sally". I watched the end credit of the movie and found that Louis was teamed up with Ella Fitzgerald, a female singer I hadn't heard of before (my ignorance). When I located the CD "Ella and Louis again" in the record shop, the only songs I knew were the two from "When Harry met Sally", as I was fascinated by these two songs, I bought it without hestiation. When I played "Let's call the whole thing off", the first verse was sung by Ella, I was amazed by the lady's voice, "oh, wow" was what I said to myself. After hearing the entire CD, I went back to the shop and purchased "Ella & Louis", I was sure this one must be a good one becasue if the first one was not good, there will be no sequel. I was right, I've got a diamond, this CD is full of gems, it should worth 5 diamonds, not stars in the rating.

A desert island disc for sure!
Two of the greatest popular musical performers of the 20th century, "Ella and Louis" together make beautiful music. "Stars Fell on Alabama," "Cheek to Cheek," "A Foggy Day," "Can't We Be Friends?," "They Can't Take That Away From Me," "Under a Blanket of Blue" - this is an unbeatable collection of pop standards. Truly a desert island disc. ... Read more

Asin: B00004RD5E

John Coltrane & Johnny Hartman
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Audio CD (27 June, 1995)
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Editorial Review

This is one of the three all-ballad albums that John Coltrane recorded in late 1962 and early 1963. Johnny Hartman was apparently Coltrane's suggestion, and his deep, dark voice meshes perfectly here with Coltrane's tenor. The material is well-chosen, including definitive readings of "My One and Only Love" and "Lush Life." McCoy Tyner fills out the chords, augmenting the harmonies and keeping the tone of these ballads respectful but not overly sentimental. All the players get to the deep structure of the songs and are not afraid to play in the most essential and elegant manner. This is beautiful jazz. --Michael Monhart ... Read more

Features

• Original recording remastered

Reviews (101)

Lush & Romantic Music
John Coltrane is one of the most inventive and innovative jazz musicians of all time, but he very well may be at his best with his work on these six simple ballads. By employing Johnny Hartman as the vocalist, Mr. Coltrane's tenor sax perfectly meshes with Mr. Hartman's deep, rich baritone voice. Mr. Hartman's voice is so sweet and mellow it practically drips out of your speakers. The songs are all arranged in a simple and understated manor and that adds to their elegance. Mr. Coltrane plays in smooth yet forceful tones that turn simple riffs into majestic sounds. McCoy Tyner provides the backbone of the album with his piano playing. He fills the holes with pretty tinkling of the ivories. The band is at their peak on the opening track "They Say It's Wonderful" that opens with a 2 minute solo by Mr. Coltrane and then drops Mr. Hartman's silky dulcitones on you. It doesn't get any more romantic than right here.

Of all my 500 or so CDs, this is one'a the maybe 2 best !!!
John Coltrane puts more beauty an' heartfelt passion into his compositions than jus' about anyone. Though I love hearin' his tenor sax over any jazz piece, hearin' it coupled with a voice as stunningly beautiful as this man Johnny Hartman provokes an emotion like no other. The liner notes in this album says that Johnny Hartman was Coltrane's unequivocal choice for the singer he'd like most to be caught with in front of a mike, and you can see why. These two's chemistry is inimitable an' BOTH should say they had the priviledge'a playin' with the other. Hartman's voice blows me away; is' smooth, relaxin' an' his impeccable enunciation brings to mind greats like Frank Sinatra. There are very few male singers that respect the word so truly, or put more emotion into the music they are performing, an' Hartman is one'a those few. Jus' listen to the dark satin lyricism he displays on the opener 'They Say It's Wonderful'; is' one'a the greatest torch songs ever and this is the absolute best recording of it I've ever heard. This is the way the lyrics and music of it were MEANT to sound. Makes me wanna start cryin' into my glass'a Hennessey, depressed, lovelorn, detached from the rest'a the world. Thas' the mood of this whole album. Coltrane's choruses are just as moody, an' not to continue quoting the liner notes, but there really is the feeling that he's thinkin' the words as he blows the melody.

I really don't have any favorite tracks. I love all six of the songs on this album equally. But, BUT prob'ly the highlight to me is 'Lush Life', I had never heard it with the lyrics before this. An' now I don't wanna hear it any other way. I think is' one'a the most beautifully-worded numbers EVER, an' Hartman handles the complex arrangement BEAUTIFULLY. I can listen to this on quiet lovelorn nights by myself, OR quiet romantic candlelit dinners wit' a lovely female companion, OR sittin' on the porch by myself puffin' on a cigarette, sippin' on some liquor, an' rackin' my brain on all'a my missed oppurtunities at love.

Y'all ain't gotta be THAT deep into it to enjoy it, but if you feel me at all; I mean, even a small, tiny bit. Then you won't wanna go without this in your collection.

The best ever? Well, here's an argument for that....
Many jazzophiles opine that this is the best vocal jazz album ever made. I don't know that I'd necessarily agree; but I wouldn't argue vociferously for another alternative. And, I would agree that it's one of the most remarkable ones ever made.

Normally, an album with nothing but slow, romantic ballads gets 4 stars from me, no matter what else. I make an exception here, for these reasons:

First, I know that the three principal musicians--Mr. Coltrane, Mr. Hartman and Mr. Tyner--had humongous voices, and when they wanted to, could cause a volcano to begin erupting. But here, each trades off volume for musicianship. Every note is caressed and burnished with beauty. By each musician. Every note, I tell you. No voice breaks, no squeaks, no dissonant chords. Everything in this album is just gorgeous.

Second, they did this in one day. Yes, Trane went in later and added some overdubbing; but the fact that Johnny Hartman could knock out what he knocked out in one day is just mind-boggling.

Third, this album just now is getting its due. When you think of Trane, you think of more spectacular efforts ("Favorite Things", "Giant Steps", "Love Supreme" and "Ascension"); but his playing was never more beautiful and controlled than here. And when you think of a big-voiced bass-baritone who could take his instrument anywhere in his range without straining, pinching, or losing pitch, you think of Billy Eckstine or Earl Coleman. Here, Johnny Hartman was every bit their equal.

This album should be in every wedding d.j.'s "Playlist" in the country. Though "You Are Too Beautiful" is my personal favorite, any one of the 6 would do. This is one of the very few albums I can remember that brought a tear to my eye, the very first time I heard it. ... Read more

Asin: B000003N7K

This Is Jazz, Vol. 32: Standards
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (28 April, 1998)
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Reviews (4)

Astoundingly good
There are way too many Billie Holiday retrospectives out there of lesser quality. But this CD really is a "best of" collection. Most of the recordings are from the late 1930s, when Holiday was at the height of her powers, before depression and drug use began to destroy her. Don't let the old sound turn you off, however. Just listen to the way she plays with the "them... there... EY-es!" phrase on the first track. Her intelligence, humor, emotional honesty, and ability to flat-out swing on these tunes will make you a believer.

Billie's Cream of the Crop
This CD captures the essence of Billie Holiday's greatness--her timing, swing, improvisation, delivering the core truth of each song with a balanced care to both lyrics and emotional impact. Those are just SOME what made Billie an enduring beloved singer in the minds (and ears) of her legions of fans. Songs are well-chosen, not one clunker in the entire bunch. At first I was disappointed with the 2 selections from "Lady in Satin" when her voice technically had declined to a croak, to pardon the expression. Still the emotional interpretation leaves no heart unstirred as she commands the listener's attention to the love unrequited kind only Billie knew how to deliver in song. Overall, the songs are picked from Billie's golden age of late 1930s. Sound remastering is done to a very good standard, though some hisses are still evident but clarity is excellent considering when these songs were recorded. Each time brings new meaning and nuance listening to this CD, not to mention a smile on the swing songs and a tear on the torchy ones. A must have for all of Billie's fans!

Billie's Cream of the Crop
This is one of those "Desert Island" CDs you'll want to own if you're stranded somewhere. Sound quality could be better, but it's quite listenable. Sony did a better job remastering Billie's "Lady in Satin" and "Love Songs" CDs, but the song selection is hard to quibble with, taking many of her definitive recordings from the '30s---this is "cream of the crop" stuff. Good balance between the fast tempo stuff (I'll Get By, Them There Eyes, Summertime) and her more well-known slow burners. It's amazing in her early 20s Billie already developed a unique vocal style, her voice captured with good fullness and warmth on these recordings. I would have left out the two tracks from her "Lady in Satin" LP and replaced them with two from her 30s catalogue, God knows there should have been plenty, but that's a minor quibble. It shows Billie still came up with the goods even in her "decline" in the late 1950s. ... Read more

Asin: B0000062F0
Sales Rank: 100141

Ella Fitzgerald Sings The Cole Porter Songbook
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (24 June, 1997)
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Editorial Review

Long considered a jewel in Verve Records' very impressive crown, Fitzgerald's songbook collections of various composers--a series that was started by the success of this set--are all wonderful, but her natural wit and intelligence was at its most perfect with Cole Porter's erudite, urbane songs. While not as scat-oriented as her small group outings, these Porter sets offer her most realized pop performances.Also, the gold remastering does a fine job of bringing out the nuances in the arrangements, making this a treasure for the serious collector and the casual listener alike. A true American music gem. --Skip Heller ... Read more

Reviews (23)

You MUST Get This CD! There's nothing better than this.
Oh Ella! I wish I could tell her how much I have enjoyed this CD. She is the stuff dreams are made of. That voice! How did you do it Ella? So effortless for you. Incredible. This is my all time favorite CD. I listen to all kinds of music and cannot go a day without hearing Ella sing Cole Porter. Don't hesitate to buy this- you'll listen to it the rest of your life. Cole Porter's lyrics pour out of her so perfectly. Those songs were made for her to sing! Her phrasing is impeccable. I just cannot express how amazing this Songbook is. BUY IT!

Fine Fitzgerald sings perfect Porter
The late great Ella Fitzgerald had probably the best jazz voice ever put down on tape.

This collection of Cole Porter songs was the first of the "Song Book" collection issued by Verve and was so successful that they followed it up with an Gershwin and Rodgers and Hart collections, though in my opinion the Porter song book is the best.

The recordings were laid down in 1956, the year after Porter's final Broadway musical, Silk Stockings, opened. Ella recorded them with the Buddy Bregman orchestra at Capitol Studios, L.A.

The one flaw (if it is a flaw) with this set is that almost all the songs are so commonly recorded that you find yourself comparing them to other artists. Unsurprisingly Ella's voice compares well, some of the orchestrations are, however, not quite up to later standards as those by such masters as Nelson Riddle. Don't mistake me, Buddy Bergman did a fine job for 1956 but at times the orchestration seems dated and at others tries a little too hard to keep up with Ella.

The style of the tracks varies greatly, according to the mood of the song. Ella picks up the beat and syncopation in such masterpieces as "You're The Top" and slows and sexifies the voice in "I Love Paris" and "Love For Sale." Overall the collection has a mellow, jazzy feel that varies between romantic and downright sexy.

If you are looking for a good collection to load into the CD player for a romantic dinner, a quiet night watching the lights on Sydney Harbour with a brandy in one hand or just appreciate the varied styles and depth of talent of Miss Ella Fitzgerald then it is hard to go past this two CD set.

FLOATING ON A STARLIGHT CEILING
Ella Fitzgerald could sing about a garbage dump and make it sound beautiful. This CD is a great collaboration between the voice of Ella and the songwriting genius of Cole Porter. Ella was definitely the first lady of song and will be the last. No other singer on this planet comes close to her style, diction and her amazing scats. Her incredible voice, the timeless lyrics by Cole Porter and the great production talent of Norman Grantz makes this a CD to play over and over again. ... Read more

Asin: B0000047EG

Black Coffee
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (01 December, 1999)
list price: $32.49
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Features

• Original recording remastered
• Import

Reviews (1)

The BEST Album on DECCA
This momumental album is available in GREAT remastered sound, AT LAST! Notably one of Peggy's favorite's it it timeless, and the music is thrilling and most personal.After leaving Capitol, who refused to let her record "Lover", this was her first effort, and it is magnificent. Many of her fans consider it the BEST album she ever made. I must concurr, as "There's A Small Hotel" has never been given a better treatment. "Love Me or Leave Me" and "When The World Was Young" make music in your head, long after you've stopped playing the CD! It is great to have the album in it's FULL version, and not cut. While I find many of Peggy's compilations fine, I MUCH prefer her original LPs AS recorded. The pinnacle of Peggy Lee! ... Read more

Asin: B00003Q49K
Sales Rank: 262630

This Is Anita (Limited Edition) (Remaste
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (01 June, 2000)
list price: $19.49
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Features

• Import

Reviews (1)

Her best album ever!!
I was introduced to this album in my childhood and am fortunate to own the CD. This is clearly Anita's best ever, thanks to her wonderful singing, and top-drawer charts by Buddy Bregman, who ranks among the top chart men of the period. Anita's treatment of "Honeysuckle Rose" is worth the price of the album alone.

Verve ought to consider re-issuing this album domestically under its "Master Edition" series because it's worth being in any jazz vocal lover's library. ... Read more

Asin: B00004U8XI
Sales Rank: 345640

Lulu's Back in Town (1956)
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (08 January, 1998)
list price: $8.97
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Features

• Import

Reviews (2)

Textbook Session
This session deserves to be as popular as the Beach Boys. It represents the "cool" West Coast jazz sound at its creative best--complex yet light, tight, and perpetually fresh. Marty Paich's arrangements serve less as background accompaniment than as a luminous foil to the equally inventive elocutions of the singer. If there's a better solution to the challenge of balancing ensemble cohesiveness with individual expressiveness, I haven't heard it.

As for Mel, there's admittedly less "personality" than on his later sessions, but the gain is a concentrated focus on the song performances--twelve "art objects," each representing the very best that could be squeezed out of composer, arranger, instrumentalists, and vocalist at a given moment. Thinking of Rossetti's description of the sonnet as a "moment's monument," it may be no exaggeration to regard this recording as a monumental achievement. In any case, I'm tickled to have made its discovery, however late.

An outstanding Album from Mel's Middle period.
This is one of Mel's best examples of his Art with Superb Marty Paich arrangements. The personell are all top-notch West-Coast musicians of the period, and demonstrate their skills when handling the Charts or Solo's accordingly! The additional Bonus is the Newly discovered Stereo tapes to give these performances an added Dimension! ... Read more

Asin: B000001BR3
Sales Rank: 52489

The Essential Bessie Smith
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (23 September, 1997)
list price: $24.98 -- our price: $24.98
(price subject to change: see help)
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Editorial Review

Bessie Smith was crowned the Empress of the Blues, and, while this moniker was well deserved, she was much more. A prolific recording artist, Smith was quite an eclectic performer. In fact, she may have been one of the first true crossover artists. This neat two-disc set gives the listener a good sampling of her wide repertoire. Smith is backed up by some of the best jazz musicians of her era. Her rendition of "St Louis Blues" for example, features the horn work of a young Louis Armstrong. Smith was not above doing such suggestive material as "Kitchen Man" or "Need a Little Sugar in My Bowl" and could breath new life into a pop chestnut like "Alexander's Ragtime Band." And when Smith sang "Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out," she knew what she was talking about. The title of this album says it all. --Lars Gandil ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Overrated singer
Bessie Smith is victim of a great deal of overheated praise by a small circle of devoted fans. When enough people yell, "Fire!" I want to check it out to see if I am missing out on some great music. Well, I have listened to these recordings and was unmoved. I find the blues musically repetitious - three chords, a seventh chord here and there, the same structure over and over and over. This pattern becomes easy to mock because every blues song sounds like every other blues song. The complex innovations and inventiveness of Jazz and better rock melody composers (Lennon/McCartney, etc) are totally missing here. Bessie could sing loudly but I don't think that she could sing well. Her brassiness and vulgarity might be appropriate in a brothel but I am not interested in hearing a woman singing how she wants a "hot dog in her roll." Keep your urges in the bedroom, Ms. Smith, if you please. Sex is the absolute lowest common denominator in humanity and unless you can present it in a refreshingly witty and elegant way (Hello, Cole Porter), I don't want to hear or see you in heat. I can watch my dog act the same way for free.
Monotonic, dreary, wailing and screeching: welcome to Bessie Smith.

A TRUE EMPRESS
This album is a good foundation for anyone who is falling under the "Bessie Smith" spell. All of the songs display a different aspect of her true style. From spiritual, to coy, to soulfull... Bessie is a true Diva!!!

powerful
i agree that she &Mahalia Jackson aren't that far apart.Gospel&blues are family like all other styles of music.i was floored by Bessie Smith and her on point style.in fact many rappers could&should be able to relate to her words.they are very honest.also country artists should vibe as well.the real ones in both fields not the studio phonys.her subject matter was very wide.her talent and storytelling is pure genius.very powerful. ... Read more

Asin: B000002ADO

Columbia Years 1949-1953
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (25 October, 1990)
list price: $19.98 -- our price: $19.98
(price subject to change: see help)
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Editorial Review

These two CDs are not Sarah Vaughan's complete Columbia recordings from 1949 to 1953, when she recorded 60 songs for the label. Rather, this is a genuine "best of" from the label. Weaker pop material is gone, and what remains is largely superior renderings of ballads with Vaughan's rich voice tastefully enhanced by good orchestration. There's a particularly successful session from 1949 with a big band that includes her pianist, Jimmy Jones, and trumpeters Billy Butterfield and Taft Jordan offering dynamic backing on "Summertime" and three other songs. Generally, the material is best when it appeals to Vaughan's strong jazz instincts, including "Black Coffee," "Just Friends," and "Perdido." When strings begin to predominate in the later selections, arranged by Percy Faith, Vaughan still sounds good, but her spark of spontaneity is lost. Divided between the two CDs are eight tunes recorded on May 18-19, 1950, with small jazz groups. They're simply extraordinary, with "Ain't Misbehavin'" among the finest vocal jazz tracks ever recorded, showing how truly majestic Vaughan's talent was. Her voice is allowed to move at faster than ballad speed and the rhythm sections give her room to soar. Mundell Lowe's guitar seems to caress Vaughan's voice, and there are inspired solos and counter lines by Miles Davis, clarinetist Tony Scott, and tenor saxophonist Budd Johnson. --Stuart Broomer ... Read more

Reviews (3)

a good enough sampler of her Columbia years...
Sarah Vaughan possesed one of the greatest voice of all time, and she was the best jazz singer of the 40s'-50's period, her vocie was rich, creamy, velvety and endlessly elegant, and stylishly devine. This cd will make you a fan, and than you can graduate to her Verve recordings, but start here, and work your way up.

Simply the greatest!
In my humble opinion, Ms. Vaughan's years with Columbia produced some of her best works. It is good fortune that this re-recorded album contains MUCH MORE than the original album, "After Hours", which is where I first heard these tunes. I own that album and it is totally worn out so you can imagine how thrilled I was to be able to get this new one. Don't miss an opportunity to purchase this album!

Beautiful and Invigorating!
This is one of the "must haves" of the musical world! Sarah will woo you and make you want to get up and dance, all in this collection! Her enchanting voice has lingered in my mind for ages. ... Read more

Asin: B0000026IS