HELEN CARR - Why Do I Love You (1955-1995) RM / MONO / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The title Why Do I Love You speaks volumes about the emotional context of Helen Carr's approach -- equal parts heartbreak, frustration, and resignation, her tough but tender vocals capture the dark side of romance at its most affecting. This Bethlehem session features backing from the likes of Red Mitchell, Howard Roberts, and Cappy Lewis, and their nuanced contributions further underscore the intimacy of Carr's performance. The song selection is also excellent, forgoing overworked standards in favor of more apropos material like "Lonely Street," "My Kind of Trouble Is You," and "Then You've Never Been Blue."  by Jason Ankeny 

Tracklist :
1  Be Careful It's My Heart 1:58
Irving Berlin
2  My Kind Of Trouble Is You 3:58
Benny Carter
3  Lonely Street 2:23
Helen Carr / Paul Villepigue
4     Symphony 2:25
Alex Alstone / Jack Lawrence
5  You're Getting To Be A Habit With Me 2:25
Al Dubin / Harry Warren
6  Bye Bye Baby 3:38
Leo Robin / Jule Styne
7  Then You've Never Been Blue 2:29
Sam M. Lewis / Ted Fio Rito / Joe Young
8  Summer Night 2:23
Al Dubin / Harry Warren
9  Got A Date With An Angel 3:44
Clifford Grey / Sonny Miller / Thomas Tunbridge / Fats Waller
10  Why Do I Love You 2:40
Oscar Hammerstein II / Jerome Kern
11  Do I Worry 2:30
Stanley Cowan / Bobby Worth
12  I've Got A Feelin' You're Foolin' 2:03
Nacio Herb Brown / Arthur Freed
Credits :
Acoustic Bass – Red Mitchell
Guitar – Howard Roberts
Lead Vocals – Helen Carr
Trumpet – Cappy Lewis

LENA HORNE + GABOR SZABÓ - Watch What Happens! (1970-1990) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

The pairing of chanteuse Lena Horne and guitarist Gabor Szabo may seem incongruous on paper, but Watch What Happens! is an unexpected delight, capturing a soulfulness and sass largely absent from the singer's previous efforts. Producer and arranger Gary McFarland's candy-coated orchestral settings afford Horne the opportunity to step out of the elegant but often stuffy refinement of her classic LPs and let down her hair. Her vocals pirouette around Szabo's hypnotically funky guitar leads with the focused abandon of a child playing hopscotch. Keyboardist Richard Tee, bassist Chuck Rainey, and drummer Grady Tate contribute the supple grooves that highlight so many McFarland sessions, and the material is top-notch, including no fewer than three Beatles covers: "In My Life," "Fool on the Hill," and "Rocky Raccoon," the latter featuring the most purely joyful performance of Horne's career. [Watch What Happens! was originally released on Szabo's Skye Records label as Lena & Gabor in 1970.]  by Jason Ankeny
Tracklist :
1 Watch What Happens 4:00
Jacques Demy / Norman Gimbel / Michel Legrand  
2 Something 3:08
George Harrison
3 Everybody's Talkin' 2:52
Fred Neil
4 The Fool on the Hill 3:35
John Lennon / Paul McCartney
5 Yesterday, When I Was Young 4:00
Charles Aznavour / Herbert Kretzmer
6 Rocky Raccoon 3:27
John Lennon / Paul McCartney
7 My Mood Is You 4:45
Carl Sigman
8 A Message to Michael 3:14
Burt Bacharach / Hal David
9 Night Wind 3:35   
Erroll Garner / Bobby Scott
10 In My Life 2:52
John Lennon / Paul McCartney
Credits :
Bass – Chuck Rainey
Guitar – Cornell Dupree, Eric Gale, Gabor Szabo
Orchestrated By, Arranged By, Conductor – Gary McFarland
Organ – Richard Tee
Vocals – Howard Roberts Singers, Lena Horne

JUNE CHRISTY - Something Cool (The Complete Mono & Stereo Versions) (2001) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

June Christy's Something Cool, originally released as a 10" LP in 1954, single-handedly inaugurated the cool jazz vocal movement. Christy had been a star vocalist with the Stan Kenton Orchestra in the late '40s, enjoying major hits with "Tampico" and "Shoo Fly Pie & Apple Pan Dowdy." Soon after she left the band, she began working with key Kenton arranger Pete Rugolo and a slew of top West Coast studio musicians (including her husband, tenor saxophonist Bob Cooper) on her first solo album for Capitol Records. The result was Something Cool, which is both a winning showcase for Christy's wistful style and a landmark of cool jazz modernism. From the start, Christy established herself as an artist who strove for the very best in song selection, arrangements, and notably intelligent interpretation. There were perhaps other vocalists with greater vocal equipment, but few could match June Christy's artistic integrity. The celebrated title track is the soliloquy of a female barfly of a certain age, reminiscing (and fantasizing) about better days to a fellow male patron who just might buy her another drink. It immediately became Christy's signature performance, and remained so throughout her career. Other highlights include a swinging "It Could Happen to You," "Midnight Sun," and an ambitious arrangement of Kurt Weill's "Lonely House." by Richard Mortifoglio  
Tracklist:
1 Something Cool 4:17
Bass – Joe Confort 
Drums – Frank Carlson
Flute, Alto Saxophone – Gus Bivona
Guitar – Barney Kessel
Piano – Geoff Clarkson 
Trumpet – Jimmy Zito 
Written-By – Bill Barnes 
2 It Could Happen To You 1:55
Written-By – J. Van Heusen, J. Burke 
3 Lonely House 3:56
Written-By – K. Weill, L. Hughes
4 This Time The Dream's On Me 1:29
Written-By – H. Arlen-J. Mercer 
5 The Night We Called It A Day 4:48
Written-By – M. Dennis*, T. Adair 
6 Midnight Sun 3:13
Alto Saxophone – Skeets Herfurt, Willie Schwartz 
Bass Trombone – Dick Noel  
Drums – Alvin Stoller
Guitar – Tony Rizzi
Piano – Paul Smith  
Tenor Saxophone – Fred Fallensby
Trombone – Dick Reynolds, Nick DiMaio
Trumpet – Ray Linn, Ray Triscari, Uan Rasey
Written-By – Mercer, Hampton, Burke 
7 I'll Take Romance 2:19
Written-By – B. Oakland, O. Hammerstein 
8 A Stranger Called The Blues 3:56
Written-By – M. Torme, R. Wells 
9 I Should Care 2:08
Written-By – Stordahl, Weston, Cahn
10 Softly As In A Morning Sunrise 2:13
Piano – Claude Williamson
Trombone – Bob Fitzpatrick
Written-By – O. Hammerstein, S. Romberg
11 I'm Thrilled 2:39
Written-By – S. Lippman, S. Dee
12 Something Cool 4:57
Written-By – Bill Barnes
13 It Could Happen To You 2:00
Written-By – J. Van Heusen, J. Burke
14 Lonely House 4:03
Written-By – K. Weill, L. Hughes
15 This Time The Dream's On Me 1:36
Written-By – H. Arlen-J. Mercer
16 The Night We Called It A Day 4:53
Written-By – M. Dennis T. Adair
17 Midnight Sun 3:31
Written-By – Mercer, Hampton, Burke
18 I'll Take Romance 2:20
Written-By – B. Oakland, O. Hammerstein
19 A Stranger Called The Blues 4:19
Written-By – M. Torme, R. Wells
20 I Should Care 2:11
Written-By – Stordahl, Weston, Cahn
21 Softly As In A Morning Sunrise 2:14
Written-By – O. Hammerstein, S. Romberg
22 I'm Thrilled 2:47
Written-By – S. Lippman, S. Dee
Credits:
Alto Flute – Bud Shank (tracks: 4, 5, 11), Harry Klee (tracks: 4, 5, 11)
Alto Saxophone [Soloist] – Bud Shank
Alto Saxophone, Flute – Bud Shank (tracks: 1 to 5, 7 to 22), Harry Klee (tracks: 2 to 5, 7 to 9, 11, 12, 14 to 17, 20, 21)
Arranged By, Conductor – Pete Rugolo
Baritone Saxophone – Bob Gordon (tracks: 4, 5, 10, 11), Chuck Gentry (tracks: 1, 6 to 8), Johnny Rotella (tracks: 2, 3, 9)
Bass – Harry Babasin (tracks: 4, 5, 11), Joe Mondragon (tracks: 2, 3, 6 to 10, 12 to 22)
Bass Trombone – George Roberts (tracks: 1, 12 to 22)
Drums – Larry Bunker (tracks: 12 to 22), Shelly Manne (tracks: 2 to 5, 7 to 11)
Flute – Ted Nash (tracks: 1 to 3, 7 to 9)
French Horn – John Graas (tracks: 2, 3, 7 to 9), Vincent DeRosa (tracks: 4, 5, 11, 13 to 16, 18 to 20, 22)
Guitar – Howard Roberts (tracks: 2 to 5, 7 to 11), Jack Marshall (tracks: 12 to 22)
Piano – Claude Williamson (tracks: 4, 5, 11), Joe Castro (tracks: 12 to 22), Russ Freeman (tracks: 2, 3, 7 to 9)
Reeds – Buddy Collette (tracks: 13, 18, 19, 22), Chuck Gentry (tracks: 12 to 22)
Tenor Saxophone – Jimmy Giuffre (tracks: 4, 5, 10, 11), Ted Nash (tracks: 1 to 3, 6 to 9)
Tenor Saxophone, Flute – Bob Cooper (tracks: 1 to 3, 7 to 10, 12 to 22), Paul Horn (tracks: 12 to 22)
Trombone – Frank Rosolino (tracks: 4, 5, 11 to 22), Harry Betts (tracks: 2 to 5, 7 to 9, 11, 12, 17, 21), Herbie Harper (tracks: 1, 10), Milt Bernhart (tracks: 1 to 5, 7 to 22), Tommy Pederson (tracks: 1 to 3, 6 to 9)
Trumpet – Conrad Gozzo, Conte Candoli (tracks: 10, 12 to 22), Frank Beach (tracks: 6, 12 to 22), Maynard Ferguson (tracks: 1 to 5, 7 to 9, 11), Ollie Mitchell (tracks: 12, 17, 21), Shorty Rogers (tracks: 1 to 5, 7 to 11)
Tuba – Paul Sarmento (tracks: 2 to 5, 7 to 9, 11), Phil Stephens (tracks: 13 to 16, 18 to 20, 22)
Vocals – June Christy

JIMMY SMITH - Respect + Livin' It Up (2010) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Jazz organist Jimmy Smith redefined the instrument with his classic recordings for Blue Note in the 1950s, working the drawbars and pedals of his Hammond B-3 like no one before him and bringing a pianist’s speed to his fills and runs, drawing the blues base out of bop and setting the stage for the later soul-jazz movement. Smith's records for Verve in the 1960s were quite different. His style as a player didn’t change so much as the personnel around him and the kind of material he tackled -- the two albums combined here, 1967’s Respect and 1968’s Livin’ It Up!, are a case in point. One could call it the pop Jimmy Smith, although his lightning-fast and sinewy organ runs aren’t all that removed from his Blue Note days. Respect features Smith in a funky soul mood, tackling Otis Redding's “Respect,” Allen Toussaint's “Get Out of My Life,” and Joe Zawinul's “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy” with characteristic verve and energy, and it’s pretty exciting stuff. Livin’ It Up! features Smith backed by Oliver Nelson's big band and sweeping cinematic string arrangements taking on Tinseltown movie themes like “Valley of the Dolls” and “Mission: Impossible,” pure pop fare like Gerry Goffin and Carole King's “Go Away Little Girl,” soothing ballads like Antonio Carlos Jobim's “The Gentle Rain,” and even gruffly singing on Willie Dixon's “Big Boss Man” (which Smith co-wrote). What’s most surprising here is the bonus track, a version of Smith singing the Mickey Mouse Club theme that was recorded at the Respect sessions. Do these two albums work together on a single disc? They do, and the reason they do is that Jimmy Smith was Jimmy Smith no matter what kind of ocean he sailed across -- yeah, he was a jazz organ player, but even more than that, he was an organ player like no other. by Steve Leggett  
Tracklist :
Respect (1967)
1     Mercy, Mercy, Mercy 6:39
Joe Zawinul
2     Respect 2:19
Otis Redding
3     Funky Broadway 6:40
Ariester Christian
4     T-Bone Steak 7:24
Jimmy Smith
5     Get Out of My Life 8:58
Allen Toussaint
6     Mickey Mouse 3:24
Jimmy Dodd
Livin`It Up (1968)
7     Mission: Impossible 3:37
Lalo Schifrin
8     Refractions 4:50
Oliver Nelson
9     The Gentle Rain 2:40
Luiz Bonfá / Matt Dubey
10     Burning Spear 3:56
Richard Evans
11     Go Away Little Girl 2:53
Gerry Goffin / Carole King
12     Livin' It Up 5:07
Jimmy Smith
13     This Nearly Was Mine 3:16
Oscar Hammerstein II / Richard Rodgers
14     Big Boss Man 6:27
Willie Dixon / Jimmy Smith
15     Valley of the Dolls 4:51
André Previn / Dory Previn
Credits :
Tracks 1-6
Bass – Bob Bushnell, Ron Carter
Drums – Bernard Purdie, Grady Tate
Engineer – Rudy Van Gelder
Guitar – Eric Gale, Thornel Schwartz
Organ – Jimmy Smith
Producer – Creed Taylor
Tracks 7-15
Arranged By, Conductor – Oliver Nelson
Bass – Ray Brown
Bass Guitar [Fender] – Carol Kaye
Guitar – Howard Roberts
Organ – Jimmy Smith
Percussion – Larry Bunker
Soloist, Tenor Saxophone – Plas Johnson (faixas: 9)
Vocals – Jimmy Smith (faixas: 9)

JACK WILSON — Song for my Daughter (1968-2014) RM | SHM-CD | Blue Note, Masterworks Series | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

On Song for My Daughter, his third record for Blue Note, Jack Wilson "changed with the times," to paraphrase one of the record's songs. Like many of his peers on the label, Wilson pursued a pop direction as the '60s drew to a close, which meant he covered pop hits like "Scarborough Fair/Canticle" and "Stormy," and that he recorded the album with a large band augmented by a string section. It is a testament to Wilson's strengths as a pianist that he doesn't get lost in this heavy-handed setting and manages to contribute some typically graceful moments, including the lovely title song. Nevertheless, the song selection is a little uneven, and there isn't much room for the band to improvise, which makes the album of marginal interest to serious jazz listeners. Audience that aren't quite so concerned such matters will find this an engaging pop-jazz album. Although the production has dated somewhat, it remains a pleasant artifact of its time, and fans of that sound should search for it. Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Tracklist:
1    Imagine 4:24
Written-By – Francis Lai, Sammy Cahn
2    Herman's Helmet 4:33
Written-By – Jack Wilson
3    Changing With The Times 3:02
Written-By – George Shearing
4    Night Creature 3:55
Written-By – Duke Ellington
5    Scarborough Fair / Canticle (From The Motion Picture "The Graduate") 5:09
Written-By – Paul Simon - Art Garfunkel
6    Song For My Daughter 3:02
Written-By – Jack Wilson
7    Eighty-One 6:26
Written-By – Ron Carter
8    Se Todas Fossem Iguais A Voce 2:19
Written-By – Antonio Carlos Jobim, Vinicius DeMoraes
9    Stormy 5:29
Written-By – Buddy Buie, James Barney Cobb Jr.
10    Soft Summer Rain 5:56
Written-By – David N. Baker
Credits:
Bass – Andy Simpkins (tracks: 2, 4, 7), Ike Issacs (tracks: 5, 9), Ray Brown (tracks: 1, 3, 8, 10)
Cello – Jesse Ehrlich (tracks: 6, 9), Kurt Reher (tracks: 6, 9)
Conductor, Arranged By [Strings] – Billy Byers (tracks: 1 to 4, 6 to 9)
Drums – Donald Bailey (tracks: 5, 9, 10), Jimmie Smith (tracks: 2, 4, 7), Varney Barlow (tracks: 1, 3, 8)
Guitar – Howard Roberts (tracks: 2, 4, 7, 10), John Gray (tracks: 1, 3, 8)
Piano – Jack Wilson
Shaker – Stan Levey (tracks: 1, 8)
Timpani [Tympani] – Victor Feldman (tracks: 4)
Vibraphone – Stan Levey (tracks: 3), Victor Feldman (tracks: 2)
Vibraphone [Vibraharp] – Tommy Vig (tracks: 10)
Viola – Dave Burk (tracks: 6, 9), Myer Bellow (tracks: 6, 9)
Violin – Betty Marks (tracks: 6, 9), Israel Baker (tracks: 6, 9)

HOWARD ROBERTS - The Swingin' Groove of Howard Roberts (2018) FLAC (tracks), lossless

When Howard Roberts (1929-1992) decided to teach himself guitar, he decided to visit every black jazz club in his native Phoenix, Arizona. “All we did was play the blues. And that’s what I came out of—the blues.” Roberts, however, felt the need to learn more about the complexities of the profession, and so he started studying harmony and composition.

Looking for more musical activity, he moved to Los Angeles in 1950, where he gigged around the city in jam sessions at after-hours clubs. There, he developed his dazzling technique and fine harmonic sense. Having played with the best instrumentalists and composers, he started getting calls for session work.

He established his reputation with the Bobby Troup trio, which appeared on TV from coast to coast, and consolidated the fame of Troup’s group with some brilliant playing of his Gibson guitar, so much so that the Down Beat jazz critics accorded Roberts the New Guitar Star Award of 1955.

In the years following he continued recording with top jazz singers and instrumentists, and eventually made his first albums as a leader for Verve. In 1959 Roberts started getting more and more work on TV and film, but not content with settling down in the Hollywood studios, in a kind of prosperous obscurity, he kept very active in the jazz scene, playing concerts and recording his own albums.

Howard Roberts was a skilled guitarist with a fondness for direct and unencumbered jazz playing, his tone always bright and penetrating, never twangy. A fine technician, he was able to execute difficult passages cleanly and forcefully. He forged a sound of his own, fiery and hard-swinging, creative and unpretentious. These sessions are an example of his jazz work, as a sideman and as a leader. freshsoundrecords
Tracklist:
01. How Do You Do? (Bert Dahlander) 3:20
02. Johnson’s Wax (Terry Gibbs) 5:13
03. When the Lights Are Low (Carter-Williams) 5:07
04. Hip Soup (S.Swenson) 6:21
05. But Not for Me (G. & I. Gershwin) 3:58
06. Emma (Bert Dahlander) 5:47
07. Room 608 (Horace Silver) 4:17
08. Ballad Medley 6:28
-Everything Happens to Me (Dennis-Adair)
-Moonlight in Vermont (Blackburn-Suessdorf)
-Flamingo (Grouya-Anderson)
09. All the Things You Are (Kern-Hammerstein II) 2:41
10. Lover Man (Ramirez-Davis-Sherman) 4:28
11. Easy Living (Rainger-Robin) 4:05
12. Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea (Arlen-Koehler) 2:42
13. The Most Beautiful Girl in the World (Rodgers-Hart) 2:51
14. In a Little Spanish Town (Wayne-Lewis-Young) 2:23
15. I’ll Take Romance (Hammerstein-Oakland) 2:57
16. Zigeuner (Noel Coward) 4:17
17. Aunt Orsavella (John T. Williams) 2:25
18. Anything Goes (Rodgers-Hart) 2:30
19. Caribe (John T. Williams) 2:14
Note
Tracks #1-8, from the album “Skål by Bert Dahlander and his Swedish Jazz”
(Verve MG V8253)
Tracks #9-12, from the album “Good Pickin's” (Verve MG V8305)
Tracks #13-16, from the album “The John Towner Touch” (Kapp KL-1055)
Tracks #17-19, from the album “Modern Jazz Gallery” (Kapp KXL 5001)

Personnel on #1-8: Howard Roberts, guitar; Victor Feldman, vibes & piano; Curtis Counce, bass; Bert Dahlander, drums.
Recorded at Radio Recorders, Hollywood, September 17, 1957

Personnel on #9-12: Howard Roberts, guitar; Pete Jolly, piano; Red Mitchell, bass; Stan Levey, drums.
Recorded at Radio Recorders, Hollywood, January 20, 1959

Personnel on #13-16: Howard Roberts, guitar; John T. Williams, piano; Joe Mondragon, bass; Jack Sperling, drums.
Recorded at Radio Recorders, Hollywood, October 3, 1956

Personnel on #17-19: Howard Roberts, guitar; John T. Williams, piano; Curtis Counce, bass; Jerry Williams, drums.
Recorded at Radio Recorders, Hollywood, November 2, 1956

HELEN CARR - The Complete Bethlehem Collection (1993) RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

With the exception of one song cut with Charles Mingus in 1946 and two with King Curtis later in the 1950s, this single CD (which consists of Helen Carr's two Bethlehem albums) has the complete output of the talented but short-lived singer who died in 1960 at age 36. Carr's interpretations fall between jazz and middle-of-the-road pop, yet her treatments of the standards consistently swing and uplift the material. On one occasion she is joined by a quintet with husband/pianist Donn Trenner, trumpeter Don Fagerquist and altoist Charlie Mariano, while the other session finds Carr interacting quite winningly with a trio consisting of guitarist Howard Roberts, bassist Red Mitchell and the muted (but fiery) trumpet of Cappy Lewis. Recommended. by Scott Yanow
Credits:
Alto Saxophone – Charlie Mariano
Bass – Max Bennett, Red Mitchell
Drums – Stan Levey
Guitar – Howard Roberts
Piano – Donn Trenner
Trumpet – Cappy Lewis, Don Fagerquist
Vocals – Helen Carr

GUITARS UNLIMITED - Quiet Nights and Brazilian Guitars [1966] Capitol-Japan / FLAC

Yet another record of instrumental hits meant to cash in on the bossa nova craze, or L.A. session musicians at the top of their game? Certainly fans of Howard Roberts, once a recording artist for Verve, will not want to miss this one, as the cool guitarist lends solos to all but one of the tracks here, a usual assortment of Jobim and Gilberto tunes and soundalikes. No strings anywhere on the album, and arranger Jack Marshall keeps things light and lively. Easy to find in cut-out bins and certainly worth the dollar or two price.  by Ted Mills

Tracklist:

1. The Girl from Ipanema (Jobim) - 2:44
2. Manha de Carnival (Theme from "Black Orpheus") (Bonfa) - 2:42
3. Meditation (Meditacao) (Jobim) - 3:06
4. Here Lies Love (Marshall-Mosher) - 2:26
5. Ho-Ba-La-La (Gilberto) - 2:18
6. Bim-Bom (Gilberto) - 2:23
7. Desafinado (Jobim) - 2:41
8. Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars (Corcovado) (Jobim) - 2:03
9. One Note Samba (Samba de Uma Nota So) (Jobim) - 2:34
10. These Are the Ways of Love (Marshall-Mosher) - 2:37
11. O Barquinho (Little Boat) (Menescal-Boscoli) - 2:32

Credits:
Jack Marshall - conductor, arranger, guitar (2,5,7,11)
Howard Roberts, Bob Bain, Tony Rizzo, Al Hendrikson, Tommy Tedesco, Laurindo Almeida (1,3,4,6,8-10) alternating with Rosinha de Valenca - guitar
Shelly Manne, Milton Holland - drums, percussion
Frank Flynn - bells (1,3,4,6,8-10)
Joe Mondragon - bass
Produced by Jack Marshall and David Cavanaugh.
Recorded in 1966.

GUITARS UNLIMITED - Quiet Nights and Brazilian Guitars

 [1966] Capitol-Japan / FLAC / scans

O Púbis da Rosa

JOANIE SOMMERS - Softly: The Brazilian Sound [1964]

Released in 1964, the aptly titled Softly, the Brazilian Sound was Joanie Sommers' seventh long-player for Warner Bros. in under five years. She had been marketed as a torch balladeer to popular jazz and Great American Songbook enthusiasts, as well as a teenybopper to a considerably younger audience. Sommers joins forces with Laurindo Almeida (guitarist/arranger) in a move that predates Frank Sinatra's collaborative efforts with Antonio Carlos Jobim by several years. In actuality, the so-called "bossa nova" movement was one of the only trends to have any effect on the American pop scene during the mid-'60s -- particularly when going up against British Invasion bands. And it's little wonder that Jobim's name crops up throughout the effort, as he co-penned a couple of tunes -- including the sultry opener, "Meditation" (Meditacao). Comparatively traditional is Henry Mancini's title theme to Glenn Ford and Geraldine Page's concurrent romantic comedy, Dear Heart. Almeida's score is tempered, yet stays fairly close to Andy Williams' Top 30 hit reading of the song. "Watching the World Go By" -- which shouldn't be confused with the Dean Martin classic -- is the other cinematic selection. Sommers' refined confidence not only sells the number, but makes it one of the project's least dated entries. Although arguably obligatory, "Quiet Nights (Corcovado)" gives Almeida an opportunity to weave his lyrical and romantically charged acoustic guitar on the Jobim bossa nova archetype. Conversely, Almeida could have gotten significantly more mileage had he removed the syrupy and heavy-handed string section. "Once (Ils S'Aimaient)" is a perfect match for Sommers' expressive voice as she subtly contributes to the composition's ever so slight sense of melancholia. After an instrumental introduction that seems to portend a reflective ballad, "Softly, as I Leave You" is taken at a quicker tempo, giving the singer a bit more melody to work with. Unquestionably, Sommers' downy intonations are at once hypnotic and seductive. "I Could Have Danced All Night" then counters with a happy-go-lucky visage that settles into one of the finest samba vibes on the platter. She offers the same unencumbered flair to the bluesy "You Can't Go Home Again," while the Johnny Mercer collaboration with Almeida on "Old Guitaron" allows Sommers to engage listeners with the warm, inviting intimacy that she was becoming known for. In 2007, Collectors' Choice Music combined Softly, the Brazilian Sound with Sommers' 1960 long-playing debut, Positively the Most, making each available for the first time in decades. by Lindsay Planer  
Track Listing
1 Meditation (Meditacao) 3:01
2 Dear Heart 3:19
3 Watching the World Go By 3:09
4 Quiet Nights (Corcovado)  2:52
5      Once (Ils S'Aimaient) 2:47
6 Softly, As I Leave You 3:23
Giorgio Calabrese / Antonio de Vita
7 I Could Have Danced All Night 2:24
8 I'll Remember April 3:00
Gene DePaul / Buddy Johnson / Don Raye
9 You Can't Go Home Again 3:30
10 Carnival (Manha de Carnaval) 3:26
Luigi Creatore
11 Old Guitaron 3:59
 12 That's All 2:49
Alan Brandt / Bob Haymes
Credits
Arranged By, Conductor – Laurindo Almeida
Electric Guitar – Al Viola, Howard Roberts, Tony Rizzi
French Horn – Justin Gordon
Guitar [Spanish Guitar] – Al Hendrickson
Vibraphone [Mallet Instruments] – Emil Richards

  JOANIE SOMMERS - Softly: The Brazilian Sound 

[1964] Warner Bros. Records / FLAC / scans 

O Púbis da Rosa