HARRY BELAFONTE - Belafonte Sings the Blues (1962) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

After flirting with traditional African-American material in his previous albums, Belafonte, for the first time, devotes an entire album to the blues. However, of the eleven songs, only two could be classified as traditional blues: "In the Evenin' Mama" and "Cotton Fields," the latter given a five minute treatment. Belafonte would take this song on the road as part of his live act for the next decade. Of the other songs, three were covers of Ray Charles standards ("A Fool For You," "Hallelujah I Love Her So," "Mary Ann"). Another highlight is Belafonte's rendition of Billie Holiday's "God Bless the Child." With few exceptions, the entire album is understated and not as exciting or riveting as other Belafonte records. Still, it's solid listening, and taken track by track, thoughtful performances. Footnote: this was the first Belafonte album recorded in stereo. Some releases feature a thick, dark blue spine. by Cary Ginell
Tracklist:
1 A Fool For You 3:38
Written-By – Ray Charles
2 Losing Hand 4:16
Written-By – Charles Calhoun
3 One For My Baby 4:34
Written-By – Johnny Mercer - Harold Arlen 
4 In The Evenin' Mama 3:29
Written-By – C. C. Carter 
5 Hallelujah I Love Her So 2:53
Written-By – Ray Charles
6 The Way That I Feel 4:29

Written-By – Fred Brooks

7 Cotton Fields 5:17
Written-By – C. C. Carter 
8 God Bless' The Child 5:03
Written-By – Herzog, Jr., Holiday 
9 Mary Ann 2:41
Written-By – Ray Charles
10 Sinner's Prayer 4:42
Written-By – Lowell Fulson
11 Fare Thee Well 4:37
Written-By – Fred Brooks
Credits:
Conductor – Alan Greene, Bob Corman, Dennis Farnon

STAN KENTON - Cuban Fire! (1960-1991) MONO / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This CD contains one of the classic Stan Kenton albums, a six-part suite composed and arranged by Johnny Richards. The Kenton orchestra was expanded to 27 pieces for these dates including six percussionists, two French horns and six trumpets. With such soloists as tenor-great Lucky Thompson (on "Fuego Cubano,") trombonist Carl Fontana, altoist Lennie Niehaus, Bill Perkins on tenor and trumpeters Sam Noto and Vinnie Tanno, and plenty of raging ensembles, this is one of Stan Kenton's more memorable concept albums of the 1950s. by Scott Yanow
Tracklist:
1 Fuego Cubano (Cuban Fire) 6:02
Johnny Richards
2 El Congo Valiente (Valiant Congo) 5:53
Johnny Richards
3 Recuerdos (Reminiscences) 5:01
Johnny Richards
4 Quien Sabe (Who Knows) 4:49
Johnny Richards
5 Guera Baila (The Fair One Dances) 5:09
Johnny Richards
6 La Suerte de los Tontos (Fortune of Fools) 4:20
Johnny Richards
7 Tres Corarones (Three Hearts) 2:59
Johnny Richards
8 Maliba Moonlight 3:51
Johnny Richards
9 El Dangon 4:34
Johnny Richards
10 Carnival 5:21
Gene Roland
11 Wagon 3:05
Johnny Richards
12 Early Hours (Lady Luck) 2:56
Gene Roland
Credits:
Alto Saxophone – Gabe Baltazar (tracks: 8 to 12), Lennie Niehaus (tracks: 1 to 7)
Baritone Saxophone – Billy Root (tracks: 1 to 7), Marvin Holladay (tracks: 8 to 12), Wayne Dunston (tracks: 8 to 12)
Bass – Curtis Counce (tracks: 1 to 7), Pete Chivily (tracks: 8 to 12)
Bass Saxophone – Wayne Dunston (tracks: 8 to 12)
Bass Trombone – Bob Knight (tracks: 8 to 12), Jim Amlotte (tracks: 8 to 12)
Bongos – Willie Rodriguez (tracks: 1 to 7)
Claves – Roger Mozian (tracks: 1 to 7)
Congas – George Acevedo (tracks: 8 to 12), Tommy Lopez (tracks: 1 to 7)
Drums – Art Anton (tracks: 8 to 12), Mel Lewis (tracks: 1 to 7)
Flugelhorn – Vinnie Tano (tracks: 1 to 7)
French Horn – Irving Rosenthal (tracks: 1 to 7x), Julius Watkins (tracks: 1 to 7)
Guitar – Ralph Blaze (tracks: 1 to 7)
Maracas – Mario Alvarez (tracks: 1 to 7)
Mellophone – Bill Horan (tracks: 8 to 12), Dwight Carver (tracks: 8 to 12), Gene Rolland (tracks: 8 to 12), Joe Burnett (tracks: 8 to 12), Tom Wirtel (tracks: 8 to 12)
Piano – Stan Kenton
Tenor Saxophone – Bill Perkins (tracks: 1 to 7), Lucky Thompson (tracks: 1 to 7), Paul Renzi (tracks: 8 to 12), Sam Donahue (tracks: 8 to 12)
Timbales – George Laguna (tracks: 1 to 7)
Timpani – George Gaber (tracks: 1 to 7), Saul Gubin (tracks: 1 to 7)
Trombone – Bob Fitzpatrick (tracks: 1 to 7), Carl Fontana (tracks: 1 to 7), Dick Hyde (tracks: 8 to 12), Don Kelly (tracks: 1 to 7), Kent Larsen (tracks: 1 to 7), Ray Sikora (tracks: 8 to 12)
Trumpet – Al Mattaliano (tracks: 1 to 7), Bob Rolfe (tracks: 8 to 12), Bud Brisbois (tracks: 8 to 12), Dalton Smith (tracks: 8 to 12), Ed Leddy (tracks: 1 to 7), John Audino (tracks: 8 to 12), Lee Katzman (tracks: 1 to 7), Phil Gilbert (tracks: 1 to 7), Sam Noto, Steve Hoffsteter (tracks: 8 to 12), Vinnie Tano (tracks: 1 to 7)
Tuba – Albert Pollan (tracks: 8 to 12), Jay McAllister (tracks: 1 to 7)

STAN KENTON - Cuban Fire! (1960) 

(1991)  Capitol / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

O Púbis da Rosa

DORIS DAY - Complete Recordings with Les Brown [2001] JF / 2CD / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Reissuing the identical material compiled elsewhere several times (most notably on Columbia's The Complete Doris Day With Les Brown), Jazz Factory won't win any points for originality, but the material itself is golden. Day's recordings with Les Brown blazed at such a high candle power that even an energetic combo like the Andrews Sisters could hardly compare (no less with their three voices to her one). Whether she turned her eye to a ballad like the era-defining "Sentimental Journey" or decided to swing an ebullient number like "Come to Baby, Do!," Day was not only one of the most likeable band singer in the business, she was also one of the most talented. Despite a few pieces of absurd novelty material ("Alexander the Swoose (Half Swan-Half Goose)," "The Deevil, Devil, Divil") occasionally threatening to drag it into the depths, The Complete Recordings With Les Brown is an excellent collection. by John Bush
Track Listing - Disc 1
1 Dig It  3:19
Hal Borne / Johnny Mercer
2 Let's Be Buddies 3:05
Cole Porter
3 While the Music Plays On 3:06
Lupin Fein / Eddie Heim / Irving Mills
4 Three at a Table for Two 2:49
Archie Gottler / Arthur Johnston
5 Between Friends 3:06
Alan Jay Lerner / Ted Straeter
6 Broomstreet 3:08

Josef Myrow / Buck Ram

7 Barbara Allen 2:53
Traditional
8 Celery Stalks at Midnight 3:01
Will Bradley / George Harris / Carl Sigman
9 Amapola 3:12
Albert Gamse / Joseph M. Lacalle
10 Easy as Pie 3:15
Les Brown / Kim Gannon
11 Booglie Wooglie Piggy 3:02
Roy Jacobs
12 Beau Night in Hotchkiss Corners 3:24
Herbert Magidson / Ben Oakland
13 Alexander the Swoose (Half Swan-Half Goose) 3:07
14 Made up My Mind 3:08
Herschel Evans / Barry Mann
15 Keep Cool, Fool 2:55
J.P. Johnson / Josef Myrow
16 Sentimental Journey 3:11
Les Brown / Bud Green / Ben Homer
17 My Dreams Are Getting Better All the Time 3:19
Manny Curtis / Victor Mizzy
18 He's Home for a Little While 3:12
Rob Goellner / Ted Shapiro
19 'Tain't Me 3:17
Lanier Davis / Jack Palmer
20 I'll Always Be With You 3:06
Marjorie Goetschius / Edna Osser
21 A Red Kiss on a Blue Letter 3:07
Ray Evans
Track Listing - Disc 2
1 Till the End of Time 2:58
Buddy Kaye / Ted Mossman
2 He'll Have to Cross the Atlantic (To Get to the Pacific) 3:03
Sammy Cahn / Jule Styne
3 I'd Rather Be With You 3:13
Roy Alfred / Frank Comstock
4 Come to Baby, Do! 3:05
Inez James / Sid Miller
5 Aren't You Glad You're You 3:04
Johnny Burke / James Van Heusen
6 The Last Time I Saw You 3:27
Marjorie Goetschius / Edna Osser
7 We'll Be Together Again 3:19
Carl Fischer / Frankie Laine
8 You Won't Be Satisfied (Until You Break My Heart) 3:05
Harry James / Larry Stock
9 In the Moon Mist 3:09
Jack Lawrence
10 Day by Day 3:07
Sammy Cahn / Axel Stordahl / Paul Weston
11 (Ah Yes) There's Good Blues Tonight 3:08
Abe Osser / Edna Osser
12 All Through the Day 3:17
Oscar Hammerstein II / Jerome Kern
13 The Deevil, Devil, Divil 3:11
Bob Russell / Carl Sigman
14 I Got the Sun in the Morning 2:34
Irving Berlin
15 My Number One Dream Come True 2:58
Lew Brown / Johnny Green
16 The Whole World Is Singing My Song 3:16
Manny Curtis / Victor Mizzy
17 Are You Still in Love With Me 3:17
Les Brown / Edna Osser
18 Sooner or Later 3:04
Ray Gilbert / Charles Wolcott
19 You Should Have Told Me 3:13
Irving Berlin / Redd Evans / Edna Osser
20 The Christmas Song 3:04
Mel Tormé / Robert Wells
21 It Could Happen to You 3:18
Johnny Burke / James Van Heusen

DORIS DAY - Complete Recordings with Les Brown 

[2001] JF / 2CD / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless 

O Púbis da Rosa

CLAIRE MARTIN - The Waiting Game (1992) FLAC (tracks), lossless

One thing Claire Martin won't be accused of is having a conventional or unadventurous repertoire. On the superb The Waiting Game, she delivers an engaging version of Betty Carter's "Tight" and insightfully turns everything from Thomas Dolby's "The Key to Your Ferrari" to Joni Mitchell's "Be Cool" into acoustic jazz. "You Hit the Spot" and "Better than Anything" aren't standards, but the soulfulness Martin brings to these neglected classics indicates that they deserve to be. The unique and distinctive improvisor doesn't avoid standards altogether -- her heartfelt interpretation of "Everything Happens to Me" being a fine example -- but thankfully, she's not one to overemphasize them. Consistently, Martin's singing is as strikingly personal as it is expressive.by Alex Henderson
Tracklist:
1 You Hit the Spot 3:30
Mack Gordon / Harry Revel
2 Be Cool 4:45
Joni Mitchell
3 This Funny World 5:11
Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers
4 Better Than Anything 3:04
Bill Loughbrough / David "Buck" Wheat
5 If You Could See Me Now 3:42
Tadd Dameron / Carl Sigman
6 Some Cats Know 4:33
Jerry Leiber / Mike Stoller
7 The Waiting Game 3:09
Claire Martin
8 It's Always Four A.M. 4:44
Ron Anthony / Sammy Cahn
9 The People That You Never Get to Love 4:12
Rupert Holmes
10 Tight 3:14
Betty Carter
11 Everything Happens to Me 6:51
Tom Adair / Matt Dennis
12 The Key to Your Ferrari 3:27
Thomas Dolby
Credits 
Bass – Arnie Somogyi
Drums – Clark Tracey
Vocals – Claire Martin
Guitar – Jim Mullen
Piano – Jonathan Gee

  

MARY STALLINGS - Manhattan Moods [1996] CONCORD / APE (image+.cue), lossless

 A product of the San Francisco Bay Area jazz scene, Mary Stallings recorded in New York for the first time when she entered a Manhattan studio for her third Concord release, Manhattan Moods. Contrary to what some provincial, myopic jazz critics implied, Stallings didn't have to record in the Big Apple to prove her legitimacy -- she would have been a great singer even if she'd never set foot outside of northern California. But Stallings' visit to New York was a good thing, for her talented East Coast support includes pianist Monty Alexander and producer Allen Farnham (who is a fine pianist himself, though he doesn't play on this CD). Farnham was known for his work with Mel Tormé and Susannah McCorkle, and when it came to working with singers in the 1990s, you couldn't ask for a more insightful producer. Farnham's input was obviously a major asset for Stallings, who really pours her heart into such chestnuts as "You Go to My Head," "I Wish I Knew," and "Lullaby of the Leaves." Perhaps the album's most surprising track is "How High the Moon," which was done at maximum speed by countless beboppers, but becomes a haunting ballad in Stallings' hands. With Stallings having put her singing career on the back burner for so many years, it was great to see her building an impressive catalog at Concord.  by Alex Henderson 
Tracklist:
1     This Can't Be Love    4:16
Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers
2     Sweet and Lovely    5:18
Gus Arnheim / Jules LeMare (Chas. N. Daniels) / Harry Tobias
3     I Have a Feeling    6:08
Carroll Coates
4     How High the Moon    5:36
Nancy Hamilton / Morgan Lewis
5     Lullaby of the Leaves    4:38
Bernice Petkere / Joe Young
6     I Wish I Knew    5:04
Mack Gordon / Harry Warren
7     The Surrey with the Fringe on Top    4:48
Oscar Hammerstein II / Richard Rodgers
8     You Go to My Head    6:35
J. Fred Coots / Haven Gillespie
9     He Was Too Good to Me    6:03
Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers
10     Willow Weep for Me    5:59
Ann Ronell
11     I Don't Stand a Ghost of a Chance with You    5:18
Bing Crosby / Ned Washington / Victor Young
12     I Love You Madly    4:21
Duke Ellington
 Credits
    Bass – Ben Wolfe
    Drums – Clyde Lucas
    Flute – Dick Oatts (tracks: 4,9)
    Harmonica – Hendrik Meurkens (tracks: 6, 8)
    Piano – Monty Alexander
    Soprano Saxophone – Dick Oatts (tracks: 3)
    Vibraphone – Hendrik Meurkens (tracks: 9)
    Vocals – Mary Stallings  

  MARY STALLINGS - Manhattan Moods

[1996] Concord / APE (image+.cue), lossless

O Púbis da Rosa

SAMMY DAVIS JR & BUDDY RICH - The Sounds of '66 [1966]

If a pop singer is backed by a jazz band, he/she doesn't automatically turn into a jazz singer -- having jazz accompaniment doesn't necessarily make you jazz. But if a pop singer likes to swing, having jazz accompaniment is certainly a plus. Like Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett, Sammy Davis, Jr. was a jazz-influenced pop singer who knew how to swing hard. And when Davis joined forces with drummer Buddy Rich in 1966, swinging hard was inevitable. The Sounds of '66 documents a 1966 show in Las Vegas, where Davis was backed by Rich's big band. Although Rich had a reputation for being difficult to work with and could be a loose cannon at times, he was an extraordinary musician -- and if you were able to get along with the volatile drummer (musically or personally), he could certainly add a lot of fire to your performances. Fire is exactly what Rich brings to The Sounds of '66; he clearly inspires Davis to go that extra mile on performances of songs that range from "Come Back to Me" to Sammy Cahn's "If It's the Last Thing I Do" and Frank Loesser's "Once in Love With Amy." Even "Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead" (a song that listeners generally associate with The Wizard of Oz) is hard-swinging -- Davis and Rich approach the E.Y. "Yip" Harburg/Harold Arlen song as aggressive big band pop, not children's music. A major departure from the famous Wizard of Oz version, Davis and Rich's version is definitely an adult interpretation. Not every album that Davis recorded in the '60s is great, but lovers of traditional jazz-influenced pop can't go wrong with this excellent CD.  by Alex Henderson 
Tracklist:
1  Come Back to Me 4:12
Burton Lane / Alan Jay Lerner 
2  I Know a Place 2:27
Tony Hatch 
3  What Did I Have That I Don't Have? 3:43
Burton Lane / Alan Jay Lerner 
4  What the World Needs Now Is Love 3:04
Burt Bacharach / Hal David 
5  Once in Love With Amy 2:45
Frank Loesser 
6  Ding-Dong! The Witch Is Dead 1:48
Harold Arlen / E.Y. "Yip" Harburg 
7  What Now My Love 3:07
Gilbert Bécaud / Pierre Delanoë / Carl Sigman 
8  What Kind of Fool Am I?  3:07
Leslie Bricusse / Anthony Newley 
9  If It's the Last Thing I Do 3:24
Sammy Cahn / Saul Chaplin 
10 Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone 3:26
Sidney Clare / Sam H. Stept 
Credits
Arranged By, Conductor – Ernie Freeman, George Rhodes
Featuring – Buddy Rich And His Orchestra

SAMMY DAVIS JR & BUDDY RICH - The Sounds of '66 [1966]

RM [1996] Reprise / CBR320 / scans

O Púbis da Rosa

PEGGY LEE - Dream Street (1957-1999) RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Dream Street captures Peggy Lee at her most intimate and melancholy -- a song cycle exploring love and loss in uncompromisingly frank terms, it strips away the saccharine and schmaltz so common among the singer's Decca sessions to effectively create the first truly adult music of her career. Lee occupies the same harrowing emotional territory staked out by Frank Sinatra via the landmark In the Wee Small Hours, investing the material with the kind of heartbreak and longing that belies the whole "easy listening" tag -- this is music shorn of pretense and artifice, as intense as a primal scream yet beautiful in the way only art of this magnitude can be.  by Jason Ankeny
Tracklist 
1 Street Of Dreams  3:17
Written-By – S.M. Lewis, V. Young
2 What's New  2:55
Written-By – B. Haggart, J. Burke
3 You're Blase  2:46
Written-By – B. Sievier, O. Hamilton
4 It's All Right With Me  2:20
Written-By – C. Porter
5 My Old Flame  2:35
Written-By – A. Johnston, S. Coslow
6 Dancing On The Ceiling  3:36
Written-By – L. Hart, R. Rogers
7 It Never Entered My Mind  2:57
Written-By – L. Hart, R. Rogers
8 Too Late Now  3:44
Written-By – A. J. Lerner, B. Lane
9 I've Grown Accustomed To His Face  2:42
Written-By – A. J. Lerner, F. Lowe
10 Something I Dreamed Last Night  2:25
Written-By – H. Magidson, J. Yellen, S. Fain
11 Last Night When We Were Young  2:51
Written-By – E.Y. Harburg, H. Arlen
12 So Blue  2:11
Written-By – DeSylva, Brown, Henderson
Credits
Larry Bunker - Percussion, Vibraphone
Nick Fatool - Drums
Peggy Lee - Primary Artist, Vocals
Lou Levy - Piano

SAMMY DAVIS JR Sings, LAURINDO ALMEIDA Plays [1966] CCM / FLAC

The intimacy inherent in this collection places 1966's Sammy Davis, Jr. Sings and Laurindo Almeida Plays in a class unto itself. As he had done on the highly conceptual All-Star Spectacular in 1962 and California Suite in 1964, multi-talented entertainer Sammy Davis Jr. has created a unique and thoroughly fascinating outing. The ten selections feature Davis and Brazilian instrumentalist/arranger Laurindo Almeida, who made a name for himself as an accompanist for Carmen Miranda before delving into the decidedly American art form of West Coast cool jazz with saxophonist Bud Shank in the mid-'50s. Here, the pair effortlessly complement each other inside the very intonation and tenor of their respective crafts. Davis' incisive abilities as an emotive performer bring a pervasive dramatic quality to the wide range of material covered. When compared to fellow Rat Packer Frank Sinatra's reading of "Here's That Rainy Day," Davis' vocals lean into the song, resulting in a palpable sense of melancholia. He evokes a similar sentiment on the achingly poignant version of Cole Porter's "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye" as well as the hopelessly optimistic "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows." However, the real magic woven into this collaboration is without a doubt Davis' incorporation of several significant Broadway melodies. "Where Is Love" -- taken from Lionel Bart's Oliver -- is a stunning, if not mesmerizing, interpretation. "Joey, Joey, Joey" bears an earthy closeness, offering what is arguably a defining moment as the tune transcends its place within the stage production Most Happy Fella, becoming an exceptional and exquisite ballad. [In 2004, Collectors' Choice Music reissued Sammy Davis, Jr. Sings and Laurindo Almeida Plays as part of the label's complete restoration of Davis' 1960s Reprise Records catalog.]  by Lindsay Planer 
Tracklist 
1 Here's That Rainy Day  2:15
Written-By – Burke/Van Heusen
2 Two Different Worlds  3:21
Written-By – Frisch, Wayne
3 The Shadow Of Your Smile  4:12
Written-By – Mandel, Webster
4 Where Is Love   3:00
Written-By – Lionel Bart
5 Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye  4:01
Written-By – Cole Porter
6 I'm Always Chasing Rainbows  2:20
Written-By – Carroll, McCarthy
7 We'll Be Together Again  3:14
Written-By – Fischer, Laine
8 Joey, Joey, Joey  4:18
Written-By – Frank Loesser
9 The Folks Who Live On The Hill  3:40
Written-By – Kern/Hammerstein
10 Speak Low  3:32
Written-By – Weill, Nash
Credits
Classical Guitar – Laurindo Almeida
Vocals – Sammy Davis Jr.

SAMMY DAVIS JR Sings LAURINDO ALMEIDA Plays [1966]

[2004 RE] Collectors' Choice Music / FLAC / scans

O Púbis da Rosa

KEELY SMITH - Little Girl Blue / Little Girl New (1963-2017) 24bits-96hz / FLAC (tracks), lossless

Following her split with husband and creative partner Louis Prima, vocalist Keely Smith signed with Frank Sinatra's Reprise Records for a series of finely curated and well-received albums designed to showcase her voice and relaunch her career. The first of these, 1963's Little Girl Blue/Little Girl New, featured arrangements by Sinatra's longtime collaborator, the illustrious Nelson Riddle, and was conceptualized in two parts with Side A, "Little Girl Blue," featuring ballads and Side B, "Little Girl New," focusing on more upbeat numbers. The result was a tour de force of an album that presented Smith as the solo star she deserved to be -- and which Sinatra had known she could be for many years prior. Thankfully, as per all of Sinatra's Reprise contracts, the artists kept the rights to the master recordings, which is where they remained until Smith struck her own deal with Real Gone Music for a series of reissues, including this 2017 expanded edition of Little Girl Blue/Little Girl New. Though she had recorded solo albums for Dot during her years with Prima, she had been somewhat overshadowed by the kitschy, flamboyant tone (and Grammy-winning success) of their performances, which often found her playing the cheeky straight man to her trumpeter husband's swing-era clown. Afforded far greater freedom on Sinatra's label, she was presented on Little Girl Blue/Little Girl New as an urbanely sophisticated hipster and a clarion diva in the mold of such similarly inclined contemporaries as June Christy, Anita O'Day, and Kay Starr. Cuts like her yearning take on "Here's That Rainy Day" and her languorously sensual reading of "I'll Never Be the Same Again" reveal her as a mature and knowing performer in contrast to the lighter, more comedic tone of her work with Prima. That said, she can still knock 'em dead as she does on the latter half of the album, her highly resonant voice slicing through uptempo swinger's like "I'm Gonna Live 'til I Die" and "I've Got a Lot of Livin' to Do." Ultimately, listening to Smith and her pointed yet dusky, golden-toned voice pouring out of Riddle's shimmering, sky-blue arrangements, one can easily see why Sinatra jumped at the chance to work with her.  by Matt Collar  
Tracklist:
1 Little Girl Blue  3:56
Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers
2      Here's That Rainy Day  3:20
Johnny Burke / James Van Heusen
3 Gone With the Wind  3:13
Herbert Magidson / Allie Wrubel
4 Willow Weep for Me  3:51
Ann Ronell
5 I'll Never Be the Same  3:09
Gus Kahn / Matty Malneck
6 Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out to Dry  2:57
Gus Kahn / Jule Styne
 7 I'm Gonna Live Till I Die  2:16
Al Hoffman / Walter Kent
8 It's Good to Be Alive  2:38
Bob Merrill
9 A Lot of Livin' to Do  2:15
Lee Adams / Charles Strouse
10 Once in a Lifetime  2:44
Leslie Bricusse / Anthony Newley
11 New Sun in the Sky  1:43
Howard Dietz / Arthur Schwartz
12 Blue Skies  2:27
Irving Berlin
13 Going Through the Motions  3:00
Bob Brass / Al Kooper / Al Levine / Irwin Levine
14 When You Cry  3:06
Ray Allen / Wandra Merrell
Credits
Arranged & Conductor – Nelson Riddle

 

DINAH SHORE - Columbia and RCA Recordings 1942-1948 [1999] 2CD / FLAC

Vocalion's two-disc The Dinah Shore Collection focuses on the singer's RCA and Columbia period, spanning her most popular years. At first glance, it appears to be an excellent summation, including no less than 50 songs and many great performances. Unfortunately though, the compilers must have assumed that listeners had no need for several of Shore's biggest hits of the era, including "I Walk Alone," "Anniversary Song," and "(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons." There's also a troubling four-year gap (1942-1946) that coincides with the World War II recording ban. (In fact, except for the first five songs, the entire set consists of recordings from 1946-1948.) The odd part here is that Victor -- a division of RCA, so no trouble for the compilers from a licensing standpoint -- continued to release material during those years. It begs the question: Why did Vocalion skip almost two dozen Hit Parade entries? Regardless of what's missing, there's still a lot of great material here and it's presented in the best sound ever heard for these recordings -- it's just that The Dinah Shore Collection is obviously tailored to collectors and vocal-music obsessives.  by John Bush   
Track Listing - Disc 1
1 On a Bicycle Built for Two 2:27
2 Manhattan Serenade 3:09
Harold Adamson / Louis Alter
3 You and I 2:42
Meredith Willson
4 Mad About Him, Sad About Him, How Can I Be Glad Without Him Blues 2:35
Dick Charles / Larry Markes
5 You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To 2:56
Cole Porter
6 Shoo-Fly Pie and Apple Pan Dowdy 3:04
Sammy Gallop / Guy Wood
7 Coax Me a Little Bit 3:13
Nat Simon / Charles Tobias
8 Two Silhouettes 3:10
Ray Gilbert / Charles Wolcott
9 The Gypsy 2:58
Billy Reid
10 Laughing on the Outside (Crying on the Inside) 3:09
Ben Raleigh / Bernie Wayne
11 I Got Lost in His Arms 3:19
Irving Berlin
12 That Little Dream Got Nowhere 3:14
Johnny Burke / James Van Heusen
13 All That Glitters Is Not Gold 3:10
14 Come Rain or Come Shine 2:56
Harold Arlen / Johnny Mercer
15 Doin' What Comes Natur'lly 3:11
Irving Berlin
 16 You Keep Coming Back Like a Song  2:23
Irving Berlin
17 I May Be Wrong (But I Think You're Wonderful) 2:49
Harry Ruskin / Henry Sullivan
18 You, So It's You! 3:08
 19 Who'll Buy My Violets? 2:49
E. Ray Goetz / José Padilla
20 A Rainy Night in Rio 2:42
Leo Robin / Arthur Schwartz
21 You'll Always Be the One I Love 2:50
22 Through a Thousand Dreams 2:58
23 (I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons 3:29
William Best / Deek Watson
24 The Kerry Dance 2:25
25 Dixie 2:46
Traditional
Track Listing - Disc 2
1 The Thrill Is Gone 3:26
Lew Brown / Ray Henderson
2 There'll Be Some Changes Made 2:41
Billy Higgins / W. Benton Overstreet
3 Georgia on My Mind 3:23
Hoagy Carmichael / Stuart Gorrell
4 (What Can I Say) After I Say I'm Sorry? 3:17
Walter Donaldson / Abe Lyman
5 Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man 3:19
Oscar Hammerstein II / Jerome Kern
6 They Didn't Believe Me 3:11
Jerome Kern / Herbert Reynolds
7 Mama, Do I Gotta? 3:01
Manny Curtis / Victor Mizzy
8 When Am I Gonna Kiss You Good Morning? 2:37
Eddie DeLange / Ted Grouya
9 Ask Anyone Who Knows 3:14
Bob Marcus
10 Poppa Don't Preach to Me 3:05
11 Tallahassee 2:53
Frank Loesser
 12 Natch 2:34
Paul Cooper / Matt Dennis
13 Tea for Two 3:19
Irving Caesar / Vincent Youmans
14 My Romance 3:18
Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers
15 It's De-Lovely 2:56
Cole Porter
16 I'm Yours 3:18
Johnny Green / E.Y. "Yip" Harburg
17 When a Woman Loves a Man 3:14
Bernie Hanighen / Gordon Jenkins / Johnny Mercer
18 Bill 3:22
Oscar Hammerstein II / Jerome Kern / P.G. Wodehouse
19 Crying for Joy 3:05
20 In a Little Bookshop 3:20
21 Love That Boy 2:39
22 This Is the Moment 3:13
23 Buttons and Bows 2:03
Ray Evans / Jay Livingston
24 Little White Lies 2:23
Walter Donaldson
25 Always True to You in My Fashion 3:07
Cole Porter
Credits
Dinah Shore Primary Artist, Vocals
Axel Stordahl Conductor
Nathan Vancleave Conductor
Paul Weston Conductor
Harry Zimmerman Conductor

DINAH SHORE - The Dinah Shore Collection : 

Columbia and RCA Recordings 1942-1948 

[1999] Vocalion / 2CD / FLAC /scans

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POLLY BERGEN - My Heart Sings [1959] COLUMBIA / LP / FLAC

My Heart Sings pairs Polly Bergen with arranger Luther Henderson, who shakes up his signature orchestral approach via the addition of cool jazz horns and late-night accoutrements perfectly matched to Bergen's dusky vocals. It's a shame the material is so predictable -- standard "singer with strings" fare like "Sophisticated Lady," "When I Fall in Love," and "I'm in the Mood for Love" -- but the set's style and sophistication make up for covering such familiar ground; for that matter, Bergen is such a distinct performer that even the most well-tread lyrics seem refreshed, and the joy she brings to bubbly renditions of "Lucky Day" and "The Lady Is a Tramp" is infectious. by Jason Ankeny
Tracklist 
1 I'm In The Mood For Love 2:56
Lyrics By – Dorothy Fields
Music By – Jimmy McHugh
2 Come Rain Or Come Shine 2:44
Lyrics By – Johnny Mercer
Music By – Harold Arlen
3 When I Fall In Love 2:39
Written-By – Albert W. Selden
4 You Better Go Now 2:40
Lyrics By – Graham
Music By – Reichner
5 Don't Blame Me 3:31
Lyrics By – Dorothy Fields
Music By – Jimmy McHugh
6 Sophisticated Lady 2:50
Lyrics By – Mitchell Parish
Music By – Duke Ellington, Irving Mills
7 Lucky Day 1:41
Lyrics By – Henderson
Music By – DeSylva, Brown
8 Just One Of Those Things 2:43
Composed By – Cole Porter
9 (All Of A Sudden) My Heart Sings 3:20
Lyrics By – Herpin
Music By – H Rome, Jamblan
10 The Lady Is A Tramp 2:04
Lyrics By – Lorenz Hart
Music By – Richard Rogers
11 I Cried For You 2:26
Lyrics By – A Lyman
Music By – A Freed, Arnheim
12 I Want To Be Happy 1:45
Lyrics By – Youmans
Music By – Caesar
Credits
Conductor [Orchestra] – Luther Henderson
Polly Bergen Primary Artist, Vocals

 POLLY BERGEN - My Heart Sings 

[1959] COLUMBIA / LP / FLAC / scans

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MARILYN MONROE - Marilyn Monroe [Ascot] 1992 / FLAC

Track Listing
 1 Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend 3:30
Leo Robin / Jule Styne
2 A Little Girl from Little Rock 3:02
Leo Robin / Jule Styne
3 I'm Gonna File My Claim 2:35
Ken Darby / Lionel Newman / Newman
4 When Love Goes Wrong, Nothing Goes Right 3:24
Harold Adamson / Hoagy Carmichael
5 My Heart Belongs to Daddy 4:59
Cole Porter
6 A Fine Romance 2:18

Dorothy Fields / Jerome Kern

7 She Acts Like a Woman Should 2:44
Jim Scott / Scott
8 One Silver Dollar 2:03
Ken Darby / Lionel Newman
9 Do It Again 3:11
Buddy DeSylva / George Gershwin
10 Kiss  2:58
Haven Gillespie / Lionel Newman
11 Specialization 3:29
Sammy Cahn / James Van Heusen
12 Bye Bye Baby 3:25
 Leo Robin / Jule Styne

MARILYN MONROE - Marilyn Monroe [Ascot]

 [1992] Delta / FLAC / scans 

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ROSEMARY CLOONEY / PÉREZ PRADO A Touch of Tabasco [1960] RCA

On paper, this unlikely pairing of American popular vocalist Rosemary Clooney (who nearly defined the 1950s as a stylist) and Cuban percussionist and bandleader Pérez Prado seemed to be a disaster in the making. The end result is quite the opposite. Recorded during two sessions in July and August of 1959, this is simply one of the loveliest albums in either artist's catalog. The music is lively and colorful but retains Clooney's smooth and mellow character, and Prado's trademark arrangements and experiments with percussion, texture, and harmony. Apparently, Clooney had some trouble with pronunciation initially, but was coached by her husband, Puerto Rican actor Jose Ferrer (who wrote the original album's liner notes) and became a quick study. This merging of Latin and American standards is a tour de force that features some of the hottest session players in the biz including drummers Leo Acosta and Earl Palmer, as well as horn players Paul Horn and Ollie Mitchell. Highlights of the set include "Mack the Knife," "Sway," a pair of Cole Porter tunes -- "Bali Hai," and "You Do Something to Me" -- as well as highly original readings of "Corazon de Melon," "Cu-Cu-Rru-Cu-Cu Paloma," and "Adios."  by Thom Jurek  
Tracklist
1 Corazón De Melón (Watermelon Heart) 2:03
2 Like A Woman 2:03
3 I Only Have Eyes For You 2:08
4 Magic Is The Moonlight 2:36
5 In A Little Spanish Town 2:05
6 Sway 2:39
7 Mack The Knife 2:00
8 Bali Ha'i 2:27
9 You Do Something To Me 1:33
10 Cu-Cu-Rru-Cu-Cu Paloma 2:33
11 I Got Plenty Of Nuttin' 2:12
12 Adiós 2:14
13 In A Little Spanish Town 2:34

ROSEMARY CLOONEY / PÉREZ PRADO - A Touch of Tabasco 

[1960] RCA / CBR320 / scans

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ANDY WILLIAMS - To You Sweetheart, Aloha [1959] FLAC

Hawaiian Wedding Song is a reissue of the Cadence Records album To You Sweetheart, Aloha. In February 1959, Andy Williams hit the Top Ten with "The Hawaiian Wedding Song." On August 21 of the same year, Hawaii became the 50th state of the United States. These were events that clearly called for an album of Hawaiian music from Williams, and this was it. It was becoming clear that Archie Bleyer, head of Cadence Records, saw himself as the equivalent of Decca's Jack Kapp and Williams as the new Bing Crosby, and he adopted the same approach Kapp had taken with Crosby 20 years earlier, pushing his singer to try a variety of types of music, including Hawaiian music. In fact, several of these titles, notably "Blue Hawaii" and "Sweet Leilani," had first been recorded by Crosby. Bleyer eschewed the usual practice of employing traditional Hawaiian instruments and importing the islands' musicians, settling instead for Hawaiian-styled arrangements played by a standard orchestra. But what mattered was Williams' typically warm vocal interpretations, which made the album a romantic touchstone. After Williams decamped for Columbia Records in 1961, he acquired the masters of his Cadence recordings, and in the spring of 1965 Columbia repackaged To You Sweetheart, Aloha as Hawaiian Wedding Song, at which time it belatedly reached the charts, getting into the Top 100 and remaining listed more than four months.  by William Ruhlmann   
Track Listing
 1 To You Sweetheart, Aloha 2:51
Harry Owens
 2 Blue Hawaii 1:59
Ralph Rainger / Leo Robin
 3 I'll Weave a Lei of Stars for You 2:18
Leroy Anderson / Harry Owens / Ralph Rainger
 4 Sweet Leilani 2:34
Harry Owens
5 The Moon of Manakoora 2:48
Frank Loesser / Alfred Newman
6 The Hawaiian Wedding Song 2:28
Al Hoffman / Charles E. King / Dick Manning / Ralph Rainger
7 Song of the Islands 2:20
Charles E. King
 8 A Song of Old Hawaii 2:30
W.G. Beecher, Jr. / Johnny Noble / Ralph Rainger
 9 Love Song of Kalua 2:22
Ken Darby / Ralph Rainger
 10 Beyond the Reef 3:05
Jack Pitman
 11 Kalua 2:33
Anne Caldwell / Jerome Kern
 12 Aloha Oe (Farewell to Thee) 2:28
Queen Lydia Lili'uokalani
Conductor – Archie Bleyer

 ANDY WILLIAMS - To You Sweetheart, Aloha 

[1959] SONY / FLAC / scans

Mediafire

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