LENA HORNE WITH LENNIE HAYTON'S ORCHESTRA — Stormy Weather (1957-2002) RM | Bluebird First Editions Series | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This LP features a fine sampling of the type of material that Lena Horne performed in the 1950s. Backed by an orchestra arranged and conducted by her husband Lennie Hayton, Horne digs into such tunes as "Mad About the Boy," "Stormy Weather," "Any Place I Hang My Hat Is Home," and "Just One of Those Things." The music swings but is middle-of-the-road pop rather than jazz. However, Lena Horne is heard throughout in top form, and this set is easily recommended to her fans. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1    Tomorrow Mountain 2:57
Duke Ellington / John Latouche
2    Out of This World 3:39
Harold Arlen / Johnny Mercer
3    Summertime 2:54
George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin / DuBose Heyward
4    Mad About the Boy 3:06
Noël Coward
5    Ridin' on the Moon 1:58
Harold Arlen / Johnny Mercer
6    Stormy Weather 3:47
Harold Arlen / Ted Koehler
7    Baby, Won't You Please Come Home? 2:14
Charles Warfield / Clarence Williams
8    Any Place I Hang My Hat Is Home 3:33
Harold Arlen / Johnny Mercer
9    I'll Be Around  2:56
Alec Wilder
10    I Wonder What Became of Me 3:00
Harold Arlen / Johnny Mercer
11    Just One of Those Things 2:09
Cole Porter
– BONUS TRACKS –
12    Stormy Weather 3:54
Harold Arlen / Ted Koehler
13    Come Runnin' 2:55
Roc Hillman
14    From This Moment On 1:56
Cole Porter
15    A Cockeyed Optimist 3:30
Oscar Hammerstein II / Richard Rodgers
16    I Have Dreamed 2:16
Oscar Hammerstein II / Richard Rodgers
17    The Surrey With the Fringe on Top 3:51
Oscar Hammerstein II / Richard Rodgers
18    Wouldn't It Be Loverly 2:52
Alan Jay Lerner / Frederick Loewe
19    What's Right for You (Is Right for Me) 2:58
Hubert Doris / Bernie Gluckman / Tommy Goodman
20    Sweet Thing 2:32
Betty Walberg
21    That Old Feeling 2:16
Lew Brown / Sammy Fain
Credits
Vocals – Lena Horne
Orchestra conducted Lennie Hayton
with Jimmy Maxwell, Charlie Shavers and George Duvivier
Notes :
Tracks 12-13: Previously Unreleased.

LENA HORNE with HARRY BELAFONTE and RICARDO MONTALBAN — Jamaica + Porgy and Bess (2003) 2CD | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Actually the cast recording from Lena Horne's triumphant Broadway debut, Jamaica first appeared in 1958; it includes music from Harold Arlen and performances from Ricardo Montelban, Josephine Premice, and Ossie Davis. Porgy and Bess was released the following year; it pairs Horne with Harry Belafonte in a series of duets from the Gershwin musical. Both albums are available as a double-CD set from Collectables. Wade Kergan                                              All Tracks & Credits :

LENA HORNE — The Young Star (2002) RM | MONO | Bluebird's Best Series | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Lena Horne became an international celebrity as a teenager -- making her first record at 18 with Noble Sissle and his orchestra -- and in many ways her star never faded. Because her success as a singer and actress paved the way for so many African-American divas in later decades, it's easy to overlook the simple vocal magic that got the legend rolling. This is one of the new Bluebird series' best compilations, a compendium of early-'40s classics that define the era. Sometimes her approach was ironic. Even if the mood of "Stormy Weather" is dark, the innocence of her voice conveys a rich optimism and whimsy. On these selections, which include "What Is This Thing Called Love?" and a hypnotic take on the Rodgers & Hart gem "Where or When?," her tone is light and flowing, with a gentle, sexy lisp in certain spots. The last three tracks, from January 1944, are so rare and obscure that the location of the recording and the backing orchestra are unknown. A must for the Horne fan or for folks who think Judy Garland and Billie Holiday were the only vocal standard setters of the time. Jonathan Widran   

Tracklist :
1    Stormy Weather 3:25
Composed By – Harold Arlen, Ted Koehler
Conductor [Orchestra Conducted By] – Lou Bring
2    What Is This Thing Called Love? 2:43
Composed By – Cole Porter
Conductor [Orchestra Conducted By] – Lou Bring
3    Ill Wind (You're Blowin' Me No Good) 2:33
Composed By – Harold Arlen, Ted Koehler
Conductor [Orchestra Conducted By] – Lou Bring
4    The Man I Love 3:23
Composed By – George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin
Conductor [Orchestra Conducted By] – Lou Bring
5    Where Or When? 2:45
Composed By – Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers
Conductor [Orchestra Conducted By] – Lou Bring
6    I Got A Right To Sing The Blues 3:14
Composed By – Harold Arlen, Ted Koehler
Conductor [Orchestra Conducted By] – Lou Bring
7    Mad About The Boy 2:59
Composed By – Noel Coward
Conductor [Orchestra Conducted By] – Lou Bring
8    Moanin' Low 2:45
Composed By – Howard Dietz, Ralph Rainger
Conductor [Orchestra Conducted By] – Lou Bring
9    As Long As I Live 2:51
Composed By – Harold Arlen, Ted Koehler
Conductor [Orchestra Conducted By] – Horace Henderson
Drums [Featuring] – Big Sid Catlett
Guitar [Featuring] – Dave Barbour
Piano [Featuring] – Lennie Hayton
Tenor Saxophone [Featuring] – Illinois Jacquet
10    I Ain't Got Nothin' But The Blues 2:56
Composed By – Don George, Duke Ellington, Larry Fotin
Conductor [Orchestra Conducted By] – Horace Henderson
Drums [Featuring] – Big Sid Catlett
Guitar [Featuring] – Dave Barbour
Piano [Featuring] – Lennie Hayton
Tenor Saxophone [Featuring] – Illinois Jacquet
11    I Didn't Know About You 3:09
Composed By – Bob Russell, Duke Ellington
Conductor [Orchestra Conducted By] – Horace Henderson
Drums [Featuring] – Big Sid Catlett
Guitar [Featuring] – Dave Barbour
Piano [Featuring] – Lennie Hayton
Tenor Saxophone [Featuring] – Illinois Jacquet
12    One For My Baby (And One More For The Road) 3:25
Composed By – Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer
Conductor [Orchestra Conducted By] – Horace Henderson
Drums [Featuring] – Big Sid Catlett
Guitar [Featuring] – Dave Barbour
Piano [Featuring] – Lennie Hayton
Tenor Saxophone [Featuring] – Illinois Jacquet
13    Suddenly It's Spring 2:37
Composed By – Jimmy Van Heusen, Johnny Burke
14    Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me 2:58
Composed By – Bob Russell, Duke Ellington
15    I'll Be Around 2:40
Composed By – Alec Wilder

TEDDY WILSON AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1939-1941 | The Classics Chronological Series – 620 (1991) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This segment of the Teddy Wilson chronology contains 23 recordings made for the Columbia label in New York and Chicago between December 11, 1939 and September 16, 1941. The first eight tracks showcase Wilson's 12-piece big band, using arrangements by Wilson, Edgar Sampson and Buster Harding. This unusually upsized version of the Teddy Wilson & His Orchestra had Doc Cheatham and Harold "Shorty" Baker in the trumpet section, Ben Webster and Rudy Powell among the reeds, and Al Casey and J.C. Heard playing rhythm. Those who are accustomed to Wilson's customary small group sound will find this material pleasantly, perhaps surprisingly different from the norm. In December of 1940 Wilson led an octet with Bill Coleman, Benny Morton and Jimmy Hamilton in the front line. Four piano solos and four trio sides with Al Hall and J.C. Heard were cut in Chicago during April of 1941. Teddy Wilson's sextet (Emmett Berry, Morton, Hamilton, bassist Johnny Williams and Heard) made three recordings on September 16, 1941; only "Out of Nowhere" was originally issued, although "Prisoner of Love" was drafted into service as a V-Disc during the Second World War. This excellent compilation includes vocals by Lena Horne, Jean Eldridge, Helen Ward and J.C. Heard, whose expert drumming and call-and-response interaction with the band place "Wham (Re Bop Boom Bam)" among the hottest and hippest selections in the entire Teddy Wilson discography. arwulf arwulf  
Tracklist + Credits :

BENNY GOODMAN AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1946 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1375 (2004) FLAC (tracks), lossless

Tracklist + Credits :

SIDNEY BECHET – 1923-1936 | The Classics Chronological Series – 583 (1991) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The first in a series of Classics CDs focusing on the recordings of Sidney Bechet, this disc features the clarinetist/soprano-saxophonist on two early titles with blues singer Rosetta SissCrawford, his torrid 1932 session with The New Orleans Feetwarmers (which also features trumpeter Tommy Ladnier and is highlighted by "Shag" and "Maple Leaf Rag") and sides from Noble Sissle's somewhat commercial orchestra. Fortunately Sissle was wise enough to give Bechet plenty of solo space on some of his selections, most notably "Polka Dot Rag." Even with a few indifferent vocals, this CD is recommended to those not already owning this music. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :

ARTIE SHAW AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1940-1941 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1167 (2001) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Artie Shaw kept his third jazz orchestra (his Stardust band) together into early 1941 before he decided to break it up. Included on this CD are the big band's last recordings (including "Prelude in C Major," "Dancing in the Dark," and the exciting two-part "Concerto for Clarinet") plus the second session by Shaw's Gramercy Five, featuring trumpeter Billy Butterfield and Johnny Guarnieri on harpsichord. Concluding this CD are four songs with a studio orchestra and four others with a very interesting interracial group that includes trumpeter Henry "Red" Allen, trombonist J.C. Higginbotham, altoist Benny Carter, Lena Horne (taking two vocals), and a string section. There are lots of stimulating and surprising performances heard throughout this pleasing program by the great clarinetist. Scott Yanow
Tracklist + Credits :

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