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Recorded in 1960 and '61, this is one of the last and very best of Fitzgerald's songbooks spotlighting individual composers. Arlen's lyrical songs,filled with bluesy touches and abstractions from the blues form, are perfectjazz fodder (he wrote for Duke Ellington at the Cotton Club, circa 1930), andbeautiful tunes in their own right. Fitzgerald is in peak voice; she's attentiveto the nuances of soulful lyrics (Ira Gershwin's "The Man That Got Away"), andlightly teases some witty ones (like Johnny Mercer's "Ac-cent-tchu-ate thePositive"). Billy May's big-band arrangements are models of self-effacingfleetness--punchy without hysteria, smooth without syrup--and enlivened by altosaxophonist Benny Carter and trumpeter Don Fagerquist. But May also brings adelicate sensibility to introductory verses, interludes, and tender ballads.Strings on a few tracks are for variety, not window-dressing. Arlen's gracefulAmerican art songs have never had a better showcase--even if they could haveskipped "Ding! Dong! The Witch Is Dead." --Kevin Whitehead ... Read more

Reviews (6)

A timeless recording!
One of Ella's & this series' best! I never thought Ms. Fitzgerald could take on the challenge of doing a complete Harold Arlen set so successfully. I use to think a belter like Judy Garland could only do his melodies justice. I was wrong! Here, Ella showed that good taste & restraint works just as well! Don't get me wrong, Ella still used projection & dramactics to display the needed emotion for each song but she did it subtlety. She never overwhelmed which critics of Ethel Merman would say. Now to the songs! There are several I didn't know until I heard this tribute. Let's Take a Walk Around the Block sure romaticized the depreesion. Ella surely knew how to have fun with this dated song & still keep it fresh. This Time the Dreams on Me, which is also on the Johnny Merecr Songbook, makes me say they don't write them like that anymore. Arlen & Mercer were unbeatable. Why can't sophisticated love lyrics like that be written as often today. The classics on these 2 discs, which there are many, have never been done better! Blues In the Night opens the set with a 7 minute version that never gets boring. This was before Hey Jude & American Pie. I've never heard Ella in better voice, belting out the song in an original arrangement of this overdone but fabulous song! Accentuate the Positive is joy, gospel, & glorious pop all wrapped together. Both songs with opposite moods show how versatile Ella's singing was. With everyone knowing Ding Dong the Witch is Dead, it took Ella to record it. Why didn't Verve release it orginally? Ella has has much fun with this dark novelty song as she must have had with her own sweeter but tragic A Tisket A Tasket. Fitzgerald is up there on the fun tunes. I must mention arranger Billy May doing the impossible of taking a big band & having them deliver an unique, fresh, creative, bright & brassy back-up jazz sound. Only the saxes on My Shining Hour sounds out of place. Another complaint is that songs such as Right as the Rain & Anyplace I Hang My Hat should have been included. Still, so many Arlen masterpieces are. In conclusion, if one desires timeless material done by a timeless artist; this double album is it.

Ella, and Billy May...
Tonight I played the album which made me a devoted Ella Fitzgerald fan; it is Ella Fitzgerald sings the Harold Arlen Songbook. From the first time I played the LP my father left me, I loved her voice, and the atmosphere on this particular recording. I liked the swinging but sophisticated arrangements by Billy May. And right now when I switch my music off, I read on the Internet Billy May has passed away. He has the age for it (87), but it is a great loss anyway, although I didn't know he was still with us.
Ella sings beautiful (especially on the second dis): Over the Rainbow, Happiness is just a thing called Joe, One for my baby, the man that got away... listen to them; learn to love Ella, and think of Billy May... both their genius are somewhere over the rainbow now.

ELLA AND BILLY MAY
If you don't know other songbooks from the ELLA's 16 collection,you might enjoy those two cds a lot.But many of those excellent songs have been covered so well by the likes of SINATRA,GARLAND etc.that you are bound to be disapointed.ELLA is not at ease with with BILLY MAY's driving orchestral direction.Compare MAY's wonderful work with ANITA O'DAY(SWINGS COLE PORTER)to experience the difference.It's simply a mismatch.However,if you don't pay attention to these sorts of details,you can buy it eyes closed,because no songbook of ELLA is without interest.THAT OLD BLACK MAGIC and BLUES IN THE NIGHT were allready famous songs at that time;GET HAPPY will forever be associated with JUDY GARLAND.My favorite here is MY SHINING HOUR.A medium FITZGERALD can still be a crowd pleaser.

ELLA and BILLY MAY TOGETHER AT LAST!
If only for these sessions, Billy May, leader of the swingin' band for so many great vocalists throught the years, provides the backdrops here for Lady Time in these timeless recordings of the immortal Harold Arlen. Norman Granz had May earmarked for this project for a long while, and the results prove it. May's brash, swinging brass infused orchestra forms the perfect frame for Ella when she wants to swing, and a blue, smoky curtain when she wants to hush down with a ballad. It is interesting to note that so many of Arlen's songs became "signature" songs for singers who utilized them. Ella, who's had a few signature songs of her own, never tries to upstage the originals here (although anytime Ella opened her mouth it became a red letter event) STORMY WEATHER, immortalized by Lena Horne, is given the full blown treatment here, included is oft-skipped verse and intro, and the band and the singer are both in fine swinging form. Ella takes a little of that pathos from "STORMY" and uses it in the lovely "MY SHINING HOUR". Here we can witness Billy May knew how to write ballad charts just as beuatifully as he could swing, and the tempo is moody, reflective. "HOORAY FOR LOVE" finds Ella in a cheery mood, exuding all the ups, downs and in-between emotions that Cupid's arrows can provide. May's easy swing tempo, infused with quick brass jots are classic.
Back to a ballad mood may be the very anchor and best gem of this whole set, the wistful "THIS TIME THE DREAM'S ON ME", with lyrics by Johnny Mercer. The arrangement is nothing short of marvelous here, and Ella knows just where to use the slightest of pitch changes for dramatic effect. A definite heartstring tugger. The happy feeling "LET'S TAKE A WALK AROUND THE BLOCK" puts across while transporting us "all over the map" really evokes a smile. Again, May knows just how to lead Ella across the globe and back without ever intruding on her own groove.
"ONE FOR MY BABY ( and one more for the road)", long a Sinatra crowd pleaser and torch song extraordinaire, gets the swinger's rush here; and the message is still there, it's a torch song, but fueled by martinis! And unlike Sinatra's heartbroken version(s), the listener isn't exactly sure when that "one more for the road" is coming, it seems like there's a party going on with no end! Harold Arlen's claim to fame might be summed up in a "shining hour" of his own, the music to the MGM classic "THE WIZARD OF OZ". There is no way to get close to Judy Garland when it comes to "OVER THE RAINBOW", but Ella's version stands on its own merit as plaintive and to-the-point. And while they were on the Yellow Brick Road, May leads Ella into a jubilant free-for-all with "DING-DONG! THE WITCH IS DEAD". Extensive liner notes in this final leg of the popular Ella Songbooks series, as all the others (Berlin, Porter, Rodgers&Hart, Ellington, Gershwin, Kern and Mercer) have been remastered and reissued with bonus material. Great listening, part of American music history that you'll be proud to own!

Ella Fitzgerald sings the Harold Arlen Songbook
Recorded between 1960 and 1961 this songbook is te fifth after the ones dedicated to Cole Porter, Rodgers & Hart, Duke Ellington, Irving Berlin and George and Ira Gershwin.
It's a swinging album, with orchestra conducted by Billy May, famous for his work with Capitol Label. Ella is in great form and voice, and she does also some scat number and some ballad too...A wonderful album, with two bonus tracks. ... Read more

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A fairly generic, consistent mid-'60s-era package--which means it rules. Greatest Hits Vol. 1 concentrates on chart hits, but nonetheless packs some wild cards. "Forget Domani" and "World We Knew (Over and Over)" are odd choices, and don't turn up much. There are also, naturally, lots of tracks missing. It's unclear why "Forget Domani" would displace, say, "Anytime at All," but these are minor complaints, and if you don't have it, here it is. This is an early CD package (from 1987), which means that the niche it was created to fill probably isn't in quite the same place anymore. Fans should take note. Neophytes: Don't worry about it, this is a great place to start. --Gavin McNett ... Read more

Reviews (9)

THE GREATEST SONGS BY THE GREATEST SINGER
THIS IS A GREAT CD. BUT WHAT MAKES IT A SUPER GREAT CD ARE THE TWO GREATEST SONGS THAT FRANK SINATRA ( THE GREATEST SINGER OF THE 20TH CENTURY) SANG. THOSE TWO ARE "SUMMER WIND" AND "OVER & OVER THE WORLD WE KNEW". I REST MY CASE.

Made For The Easy Listening Charts
Clearly, when compared to much of his Capitol and Columbia years material, these do not count among Frank's classic songs. However, they did appeal to enough people at the time to shoot them well up the Easy Listening [Adult Contemporary] charts, and even to a lesser degree the Billboard Hot 100. So, to dismiss them as "commercial drek" is missing the point entirely. The man had to go on paying the bills [including alimony] and so why not churn out stuff that made the greater masses happy? Did we not count?

What I don't like about this album - which first appeared in vinyl in 1968 - is the title "greatest hits" and the meagre [1 page] of liner notes. Perhaps that was all they could squeeze onto the back of an LP in 1968, but for the CD release they could have at least added more background information AND a proper discography of the contents.

As for the title, it would have been less misleading had they said "Greatest Hits At Reprise From 1964 to 1967" because that is more or less what you're getting here. In that period, working primarily with Jimmy Bowen [who once toiled with the Rhythm Orchids and Buddy Knox in the 1950s] and Sonny Burke [who had worked with Dinah Shore on many of her earlier hits], and often with the backing of Ernie Freeman, he had 16 Easy Listening/Adult Contemporary hits, 12 of which also made the Billboard Hot 100. Here you get 11 of those two-chart hits plus one that made only the AC charts [track 10 - # 10 AC and a pop "bubble under" at # 102 in the fall of 1965].

The earliest hit covered here is Softly, As I Leave You which hit # 4 AC/# 27 pop in October 1964, followed by Somewhere In Your Heart which, in January 1965, rose to the same level on the AC charts but only # 32 pop. They then skip over Anytime At All [# 11 AC/# 46 pop in April 1965] and instead include the lesser Tell Her (You Love Her Each Day), a # 16 AC/# 57 pop in June.

Forget Domani was another lightweight entry from the film The Yellow Rolls-Royce, hitting # 13 AC/# 78 pop in August 1965, as was When SOmebody Loves You [the AC hit only mentioned above]. Rounding out 1965 was the double-sided AC hit I'll Only Miss Her When I Think Of Her [# 18] b/w Everybody Has The Right To Be Wrong (At Least Once) - # 25 and a pop "bubble under" at # 131.

The years 1966/67 were much kinder in terms of chart success with no less than six # 1 AC hits, two of which also made it to # 1 pop. It Was A very Good Year, done by The Kingston Trio on their 1961 LP Goin' Places, was the first to go # 1 AC [# 28 pop], that being in February 1966 b/w Moment To Moment from the film of the same name which also charted at # 18 AC/# 115 pop "bubble under" - but it's not included here.

Then came the smash Strangers In The Night [# 1 AC for 7 weeks and # 1 pop in June 1966], a song that Dean Martin had relinquished to Frank when he couldn't get his chops around it at an album recording session. A bit of trivia that would have enhanced the liner notes, by the way. Summer Wind also went to # 1 AC [# 25 pop] that October, beating out the Wayne Newton rendition, as did That's Life for 4 weeks [# 4 pop] in December.

Early in 1967 he teamed with daughter Nancy for a # 1 AC [NINE weeks] and # 1 pop [four weeks] on Somethin' Stupid, and that October registered his fifth straight AC # 1 [five weeks] with The World We Knew (Over And Over), which also made it to # 30 pop. In December, This Town [from the film The Cool Ones] topped out at # 17 AC/# 53 pop.

So, in summary, six # 1 AC hits, two of which also reached # 1 pop, spending a total of 26 weeks at the top AC slot and 101 weeks in total on the charts. Some may wish to slough this off as "commercial drek" but clearly millions did appreciate them.

Hey Frank-- where's your fedora?
Sinatra once said he was determined never to be a has-been. I'm sure he was thinking about the late 1940s and early 1950s when his records didn't sell, and as a result, he would do almost anything to make sure that didn't happen again. At Capitol he had no problem making hits-- all his albums reached the top ten, and many of his singles-- and early on at his own label Reprise one really could say "It's Sinatra's world, we just live in it." But then the Beatles hit, and Sinatra felt the need to fight off the younger generation of rock 'n' rollers. His Rat Pack pally Dean Martin had done just that with "Everybody Loves Somebody" in 1964-- so Frank "borrowed" the arranger Ernie Freeman and came up with his own hit version of "Softly As I Leave You." It anticipates the easy listening sound that would take off in the 1970s, with a rock-type beat but lots of strings and sappy lyrics. But I like this song. Still it wasn't until 1966 that Sinatra scored his first #1 hit single of the decade, "Strangers In The Night," with the versatile Don Costa as arranger. Once again, it's hard to see him singing this in a tilted hat, but times were a-changin' and it's a fun schmaltzy love song with a certain Italian flavor. Daughter Nancy was making hit records, so she and Daddy Frank paired up, just as a joke really, and knocked off "Somethin' Stupid." Hey it's fun! And this also went to #1. "Summer Wind"-- like the rest of the album built around "Strangers"-- is a lot cooler, with a jazz organ swinging in the usual Nelson Riddle way. "It Was A Very Good Year" is truly great material from one of Sinatra's all-time best albums, the Gordon Jenkins-arranged "September Of My Years," recorded earlier than most of the songs included here (1964). "That's Life" is a song that gains stature from Sinatra having been forced to do another take after somebody in the studio messed up-- he was mad (did that ever happen?) and growled and belted out the lyrics. This song is maybe more fun than any other Sinatra number. The other songs, arranged mostly by Ernie Freeman, are less successful. They feature silly lyrics, bad choirs, a kind of brain-numbing very uncool beat, and Sinatra sounding like he really doesn't care too much one way or the other. "Forget Domani" and "Somewhere In Your Heart" are good examples. "This Town" actually gets a groove on a little bit, with a bluesy harmonica wailing away and Sinatra singing like he really, truly doesn't care for this particular town. "The World We Knew" contains a very un-Sinatra like rhyme: "ours" with "stars." As Sinatra used to say in the middle of "I Get A Kick Out Of You"-- yuck! To sum up, if you're a baby boomer, this collection might bring back some memories. Otherwise the best songs can be found elsewhere, as on "The Reprise Collection." In fairness though, some of these songs are so corny, they are kind of fun to hear on a hot summer drive in rush hour traffic. Still, I think these fedora-less hits, while they kept Sinatra in the game at the time, have done more damage to his legacy than anything else and maybe took him out of the same league of impeccable taste as Ella or Billie.

But I can see how others might only give it three-stars...
There are some tacky commercialized third- raters here that I can barely listen to, like "This Town", "When Somebody Loves You","Domini".But there are also three enjoyable rare ones too: "Something Stupid" which is no more stupid than any other folk-rock at the time,and better than just about all of them, as well as being Frank and Nancy's best duet,"Softly As I Leave YOU", with lyrics that have been interpreted to mean the husband is comforting his wife on her death bed (where else is there a song like that?!). And "The World We Knew" with lyrics that I can very personally identify with,and a nice arrangement.If only they would have used celloes instead of that annoying fuzz tone in the beginning,but that was the "in" sound at the time. If you don't already have "Summer Wind",and "Very Good Year", this CD is the easiest way to get them too,and they are obvious Frank essentials.

Really commercial recordings
These are not Sinatra's great recordings. These are commercial affairs intended to sell to a popular audience, unlike Sinatra's earlier sides for RCA, Columbia, and Capitol, which were great and important art songs heard by few in their day. No doubt, Ol' Blue Eyes simply became tired of working for nothing, or even being forced to pay out of his own pocket for recording sessions, and so he formed his own label and focused on making hits. Who can blame him? With these recordings, Mr. Phrasing became known to a wider public (millions, as opposed to six or seven), and let's be realistic--without "Strangers in the Night" or "Life's a Trippy Thing" (Why isn't that on here?), no one would have ever heard of Frankie. Now that he's dead and everyone realizes that he was the greatest singer of the century, we can forgive the kind of clinking-triplet stuff that dominates this collection, and we can overlook the fact that "Somewhere In Your Heart" (track 4) is a near-plagiarism of "Miss America" and, to boot, virtually identical to track 8 or 10 (can't remember which). Anyway, these are the recordings that paid the bills for Sinatra, at least until he could return to the obscurity of sold-out concerts and TV, where we was free to practice his art. Three stars--four, had they included the Frank and Nancy duet "Life's a trippy thing" ("Hello, birdies; hello, Spring"). Even Merv Griffin's "Have a Nice Trip" can't compete with that one. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Billie's Middle (Peak?) Period
I agree during this period (1940s) Billie Holiday was at her vocal peak. I feel critics have overrated this collection mostly due to the fact Billie Holiday's voice was still in good shape and the effects of her drug addiction hadn't yet taken effect. When she switched labels, the folks over at Decca were trying to mold and shape her into the next Peggy Lee or Doris Day, making her into a more mainstream model than what she had been in the 1930s. The arrangements (full size orchestras, syrupy strings, background vocals, etc.) don't always work. Sometimes they clash w/ Billie's delicate voice. Billie is still best suited by a trio combo or just a piano. At least the new label was going for a different sound and approach than what she was getting at Columbia. It just didn't work for her. Fortunately for Billie, she overcomes the arrangements w/ wondrous phrasing and choice of great songs, some of them indeliby linked w/ her--God Bless the Child, Good Morning Heartache, Loverman, Ain't Nobody's Business, That Ol Devil Called Love.....

An essential collection, beautifully remastered
I heard my first Billie Holiday recording in college in the 60s. It was a double LP called "The Billie Holiday Story" on the Decca label, in "enhanced stereo". I fell in love with her voice and bought the album, which I proceeded to play so often that the grooves wore down. So it was with extreme pleasure and anticipation that I read of this CD set, which contains all of the tracks from the LPs, as well as all of Billie's other recordings for Decca. The digital remastering is superb, and to hear the songs in their original monaural sound instead of the "re-channeled" stereo of the LPs is a revelation.

At first, I was tempted to program around the numerous alternate tracks, but as time went on, I was very glad that the producers included everything. Listen to the alternate of "No More", rescued from the MCA Japan vaults; despite substandard sound, the power of Billie's voice comes through, with nuances which make it quite different from the recording which was released. It's fascinating to hear the four takes of "Big Stuff", a show tune by Leonard Bernstein, as Billie finally manages to make it her own.

And of course all her truly great recordings from this era are here: "Lover Man," "Solitude", "My Man", and more. The package includes extensive notes and recording information. This is an outstanding and loving tribute to one of the greatest singers of the 20th century.

Powerful stuff
This must really have a label with a warning: this is really heavy stuff. Dont think because this is mostly Billie with her orchestra this would be a conventional pop record. By this time in her career, Billie had transformed the art of singing, she was in a category all by her own. Good morning heartache may be my all time favourite Bilie recording. Essential listening for anyone interested in vocal jazz.

TRULY the BEST of Billie Holliday
No arguments here with any of the other reviewers. I give this set 5 stars because they don't have 6.

This box set truly captures Billie Holliday at the peak of her craft. Her voice never sounds better. Secondly, the arrangements are fantastic and rarely have I heard musical accompaniment that so masterfully compliments and highlights a singer's voice. Finally, the tracks are impeccably mastered and recorded. The original recordings are wonderful and they don't use modern sound technology to clean up the recordings to the point they sound stale and sanitized. The sound quality is rich and truthful; yet no annoying hiss or other imperfections.

I believe Billie was at the height of her popularity during the Decca era and she never gets better musicians to work with or a better selection of songs to "interpret." This is after the "tin pan alley" era and before Billie gets strung out and jazzed out with sparse arrangements and accompaniments.

Simply put, this is the best music ever recorded, by one of the 20th Century's greatest artists.

My favorite Billie! Captures the dark 40's best.
This is my favorite Billie Holiday of them all. It captures the "film noir" feel of the 40's best of dark, smoke-filled rooms, blinking neon signs over cheap hotels. I expect to see Bogie coming thru the fog any moment. Everyone talks about her earlier Columbia work with small groups, which has more of a swing feel. This one is more dramatic with the 40's type orchestra painting a dark picture on great cuts like: Big Stuff, No More, Don't Explain and of course God Bless The Child. There are many fascinating outtakes as well, each one with a different interpretation.The box is classy with detailed dates, personnel, great photos and Billie's life. A wonderful box set. Ideal for overcast days. This is Billie at her emotional best. Definitely a keeper for life. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

The best collection of Streisand's 1960's music
This collection, simply titled GREATEST HITS, features the best of Streisand's recordings from the sixties before she took off for an even better (and more successful) career as a more pop oriented performer in the seventies. But no matter which decade your're more found of, this is a must-own for any Streisand fan.

This album, mostly containing standards and show tunes, includes the pop singles "People" and "Second Hand Rose," which were two of her biggest hits of the 60's. Also making an appearence are two more songs from the film version of FUNNY GIRL, the show stopping "Don't Rain On My Parade" and her classic rendition of "My Man."

"He Touched Me" is beautifully arranged, while she explores heartache in the unusual "My Colouring Book" and her sense of humor in "Sam, You Made the Pants Too Long." A live version of "Happy Days Are Here Again," from A HAPPENING IN CENTRAL PARK, closes the package with a sense of hope and a promise of what the future would bring.

It's not right but it's okey!
In this album, I think the perfect thing is Barbra's voice.I don't think some songs are the hits like "Sam, you made the pants too long".It's a kind of "not hits" and It's okey for some songs like "People" or "Don't rain on my parade"...They are the hits of that decade but the others is not the hits like the former songs. I buy this album because I love Barbra Streisand.I think her voice is very very perfect and it's so natural but I think this album is not the hits like the other singers did.I think it's not the "Greatest Hits" but some kind of "Normal Hits" instead.But every song in this album is so beautiful and sweet and fantastic...they are so perfect!

Not a bad complation
In my opinion, thisis a pretty nice compilation, though missing ona lot of great songs.
Songs like People, Don't rain on my parade, and He touched me are always great classics, but othersongs are nice though can be replaced by other classics
All in all, the songs are great, and anyone into Barbra Streisand should get them,but in my opinion, there should have been more great songs

Excellent compilation, but not a real "GH" disc.
Barbra Streisand was the best selling female artist of the sixties (and would become the best-selling female artist of the twentieth century) with incredible string of hit albums during which she scored 11 gold records. It is more than a little ironic that during this time she only scored two Top 40 singles: the big hit "People" (#5 Pop, #1 Adult Contemporary), which is still perhaps her signature song, and the moderate hit "Second Hand Rose" (#32 Pop, #5 Adult Contemporary) Streisand did reach the Billboard Hot 100 eight more times during the '60s though, and recorded plenty of prime album tracks from her astonishingly consistent records which makes this compilation a justifiable reason to exist.

Some of the best performances of Streisand's long career are to be found here in "He Touched Me" (#53 Pop, #2 Adult Contemporary), "My Man" (#79 Pop), "Free Again" (#83 Pop) and the stunning "Don't Rain On My Parade" (which was shockingly never issued as an A-side single). The #98 single "Sam, You Made The Pants Too Long" makes it's only full length appearance on a Streisand album (it was previously only a part of the long "Circus Medley" from Color Me Barbra), however I really wish the rare single versions of "Happy Days Are Here Again" and "My Coloring Book" (which were completely different recordings than the album versions) had been included - even though The live version of "Happy Days" is stunning in it's own right.

The disc ignores a few of her lower charting singles like "Absent Minded Me" (#44 Pop, #6 Adult Contemporary), "Where Am I Going" (#94 Pop, #4 Adult Contemporary), and "Stout Hearted Men" (#92 Pop, #2 Adult Contemporary), however these omissions are forgivable seeing they're not her best-remembered recordings of the era. Some signature album tracks are also absent (such as "Cry Me A River" and "When The Sun Comes Out"), but what is here cannot be disputed in any way. While I strong suggest that anyone interested in Streisand check out her early albums in their entirety, GREATEST HITS will more than fit the bill for listeners who only looking for a single disc summary of her sixties output.

Sheer torture
The fact that anyone would even admit to liking trash like this is astonishing (It's most likely the Rosie/Oprah crowd). Barbra Streisand is one of the most pompous, self-serving, over-rated artists of the last fifty years. Songs like "People" and "Don't Rain on my Parade" reek of more sappiness than a Hallmark convention. If I could give this no stars, I would. Simply pathetic! ... Read more

Album Details

Tracks Include: Straight Down the Middle, Love is the Sweetest Thing, Unchained Melody, Ain't Misbehavin', the Lady is a Tramp, Don't Blame Me, Papa Loves Mambo, True Love, I've Got a Crush on You, You're Sensational and More. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Good sampling of the mature Bing
I would quibble that this CD represents "the best" of Bing Crosby, even though the material covered here is pretty darn good. All of these standards were recorded long past Crosby's vocal heyday, which would have been the 1932-45 era, but if you're a fan of the mature Bing, then this is right up your alley. This is a pleasing introduction for those who don't have other Crosby CD's in your collection or who are weak in the post-1950 period of his career. It contains his standard hits like "True Love" which have been recycled time and again on other anthologies, but it also contains some little-known gems.

Another reviewer complained about the sound quality on this set. I am puzzled at this criticism. I have most of these songs on casette, vinyl and some even on their original 78 and 45 issues. The sound quality here is quite acceptable and good on most tracks. Hopefully this collection will convince you that Bing's vocal mastery was unparalled, even when he was in his 50's, as he was when these songs were recorded. Then you can sample his earlier, jazz-influenced work during his Columbia years in the early 30's and branch off into his 20's work with the Rhythm Boys. But for the beginning Crosby listener, this set will give you many hours of enjoyable listening and help you branch off into other Crosby CD's which includes his early, stellar work. I highly recommend this set. Enjoy!

Bing-O!
I ordered this album based on the glowing reviews of it from this site. I concur. Buy this CD if you want to hear great arrangements and performances by Bing at his mature stage when his voice was much deeper and resonant. Rarely do quality and quantity (50 songs)come together this well. You will find this a very satisfying listening experience.

One of Bing's Best Collections -- Ever!
This is one of the best Bing Crosby collections you are going to find -- and at this price, it's even more unbelievable. Bing recorded 225 songs from 1954-60 with the Buddy Cole Trio for his radio show. After Bing's death in 1977, Brits Ken Barnes and Pete Moore selected a large number and added full stereo orchestral and choral accompaniment. This gives us Bing in prime voice, but with more modern arrangement. This 2-CD set contains 50 of these songs. The fidelity is great. Top quality, from the great work Barnes and Moore did in their painstaking labor of love, to the great-sounding disc remastering, to the fantastic price for the 2-CD set. What I also like is that these selections are fresh, and not the same old songs that are standard to Bing that every other collection includes. If you buy this, you are getting something new and different. You can't beat this great set! ... Read more

Album Details

Two Albums Chosen by the Dean Martin Assicoation as the Albums their Mambers Most Want to Hear. Fantastic Ballads and Superb Standads. 25 Digitally Remastered Tracks. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

ONE HALF OF HIS BEST
This Time I'm Swingin' is the best upbeat Dean Martin LP ever. Now, marry it up with the intimate Dreamin' with Dean (Reprise) and you have the best of both worlds.

"This Time's" cut of On the Street Where She Lives is my favorite Martin and in my judgment defines swing. The rest on this LP are all classics, too, so much so that to explain fully would require a book...

Pretty Baby, the other album on this CD, has at least a couple nice cuts to check out. The LP's cover, however, may be the most memorable of Martin's: Dino's suit, coy smile and the object of his affection! Wow!

THE BEST OF THE BEST! 5 STARS ++++++
Deans singing style, personality, and gift of his voice really shines through on this CD. I have to say that each and every song on "This Time Im Swingin!" is perfection. On the Pretty Baby album "Its Easy To Remember" is my personal favorite. If you are interested in starting a Dean Martin collection this is the one to get and you will be hooked!

THE ABSOLUTE BEST OF DINO!!!!!!!!
This is Dean Martin at his absolute BEST! These two albums are simply the best LPs he ever put out. Every song on both albums is the quintessential Dean Martin. The man and the music that everyone thinks of when you hear the name Dino. They were recorded in '57 and '60 before he changed over to the Reprise label and started recording country ballads that most Dino fans find dissappointing. His years at Capitol are FAR superior to the years he wasted at Reprise (I blame Frank for this). I have a few of the 2-fer cds of his years at reprise and it's not even close. These songs are perfectly arranged and ably conducted by Nelson Riddle and Gus Levene, who are simply the best at complimenting Dean (as if he needs any help!) Dean effortlessly delvers each song with perfection and melifluous cadence you can't find anywhere else. The first album is loose, easy and relaxing even though the title says otherwise. The second album is just as smooth, but most of the songs do feature an unnecessary choral background that only draws attention from Dean (this is the only drawback from a perfect album). "I Can't Give You Anything But Love"(my favorite) "You're Nobody Till Somebody Loves You", "Heaven Can Wait" and "I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me" are simply Dean at his best. Even the artwork is great which features the original album covers. If you own only one Dean Martin album i strongly urge that it be this one. It deserves more than 5 stars and is worth every penny! You will NOT be dissappointed!

Great Sound! Great Swing!
Wow, is this great! I can't stop listening to it! As a kid in the Seventies, I remember the aging Dean Martin who became a parody of the bad Vegas performer. This, however, is nothing like what I remember. I'm not sure what drew me to buy the CD but I'm glad I did. The crisp sound of the orchestra, the bounce in his voice. It is sooo good!

As far as Pretty Baby, the background singing isn't as bad as some reviews make it out to be. It is somewhat dated but it too is very enjoyable.

Buy the CD! You won't regret it!

Indispensable Dean
This CD is compilation of two original releases, "This time I'm Swinging", and "Pretty Baby".

"This Time I'm Swinging" is Dean's version of Sinatra's "Songs for Swinging Lovers". Both were arranged by Nelson Riddle and both represent the pinnicale of each singers' recorded work. I would list the highlights, but I would end up listing most of the songs - its that good. I'm a big Sinatra fan, but I actually like this record better. Its Dean at his very best.

Unfortunatly, the best thing about "Pretty Baby" is the great album cover with a very cool Dean getting the eye from a pretty blonde. The album is mared by cheesy, Ray Coniff style background singers that overwhelm practically all the songs. It sounds very dated and can't compare to the classic swing of the preceding record.

Buy the CD for the first twelve cuts. You won't be disappointed. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Liza's on top of the World
If anyone can't understand what all the fuss was about when Liza Minnelli started years ago,listen to this tape. She was in fine form,and one of the greatest singers and dancers of our time. Years of performing have made Liza's voice ruff around the edges,but her true fans love her just as much. I seen Liza in concert in 1978,and it was the greatest show I've ever seen by anyone. You can see picture's I took of Liza that night when she came out after the show on my web-site at my members page. This CD is fantastic. I love,"Yes," and the song,"Ring them Bells" is the funniest,and it really happened. At this time,Liza had the stongest voice by any singer. Her vocals were perfection. Along with "Liza Live at the Winter Garden," this is my favorite Liza Minnelli Album.

Excellence
This is one excellent CD. I love it. I purchased this cd because
I had heard about this "Liza with a Z" song, and i really wanted to hear it. I loved it-so personal and fun. Well, then I listened to the other songs as well, and they were just superb! I really loved the medley from Cabaret! The Money Money song is excellent! And Liza's version of "Son of A Preacher Man", it was great! And "Bye Bye Blackbird"-was extremly wonderful!! I recommend any and all Liza fans to get this CD!! 5 stars!!

MINNELLI'S MAGICAL MUSICAL TOUR!! GO LIZA!!!!
From the charged great opener "Yes" it is clear that this is going to be an extraordinary musical trip with a great, great singer!! Drama and pathos make "God Bless The Child" a moving and incredible experience and "Liza With A "Z" is great fun and a tongue-twisting feat that Liza never once flubs on!! Exhuberant and soulful is the definitive version of "It Was A Good Time" and wildly soulful is the rhythmic "I Gotcha" which is also a great dance routine that Liza really shines in. This classic concert was a Emmy Winning Television Special which deserves release on DVD and hopefully this will happen soon!!! An all-stops-out performance makes "Ring Them Bells" a stunning masterpiece and Liza is the only singer besides the late Dusty Springfield that does justice to the funky "Son Of A Preacher Man". Stylish and sophiscated makes "Bye Bye Blackbird" a stunner and well broken in and familiar love is celebrated in the fascinating "You've Let Yourself Go". The ultimate passionate tribute is given to Mom in a masterful version of "My Mammy" which has to be the all-time best of this classic!! Liza's voice is stunning on "Mammy" and would make her Mom very proud!!! A well-earned Oscar went to Liza for her fascinating portrayal of Sally Bowles in "Cabaret" and the songs that make up the closing medley from that motion picture are thrilling to hear Liza sing "Live" in concert!! More than 30 years after this legendary event Liza is still thrilling audiences with her magical talent. Bravo Liza!!

THE GAYEST SHOW ON EARTH
hello:

i thought i was in the gayest show on earth until i saw this.

it is great! but it doesn't get any gayer than this.

liza with a z
jackie with a j

jack e. jett
the jack e. jett show

LIZA = LEGEND
So many sad headlines in recent years...'near death,' 'fighting for her life,' 'back in rehab.' I'll never give up hope that she can make it back to the magical, magnificent entertainer she once was (the reason "Liza" is no longer an uncommon name, the reason I have a 5 year old granddaughter who has become her namesake.) This album, perhaps better than any other, captures her at the peak of her talent....in 1972 she was pulling in all those awards for CABARET and then capped it off with this memorable TV special.

She was never better than on this live-recording CD. She takes Billie Holiday's "God Bless The Child" and makes it her own. And who better than the daughter of a legendary director and an immortal superstar to complain about "rich relations give crusts of bread and such, saying Help Yourself but Don't Take Too Much....." Well, God bless her....she already did have her OWN! (In Spades!)

Most dramatic moments: taking a swipe at Mama during the nursery rhyme segment of "It Was A Good Time," then turning around and making it up to her with an emotional version of "My Mammy." And a CLASSIC portrait of a long-married, long-suffering couple in "You've Let Yourself Go." And the medley of "Cabaret" songs would never, ever be done better than here. And of course, "Ring Them Bells" and "Liza With A Z," but, wow, listen to her 'handle' "Son Of A Preacher Man" and "Bye, Bye Blackbird."

And if I wanted to turn it all around today and sing one of Liza's own songs to HER.....it would be "Come In From The Rain." She should....she will....and she will be better than ever. That's what Legends are all about! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Having announced his retirement from the music biz in 1970, Sinatra returned in 1973 with this sadly uneven record. Though its title suggests a triumphant mood, the feel of the album is surprisingly down. "Let Me Try Again," "Nobody Wins" and "There Used to Be a Ballpark" revisit the pessimism of The September of My Years and Watertown (albeit with less satisfying results), and his cover of "Send in the Clowns" is a bummer on several levels. The arrangements, by Don Costa and Gordon Jenkins, are overly slick and soggy, and Sinatra doesn't seem too excited about returning to the recording studio. This was Ol' Blue Eyes' biggest album of the '70s, but is hardly his best or most memorable. --Dan Epstein ... Read more

Reviews (15)

"I Know I Said That I Was Leaving..."
Bill Cosby, asked why he was returning to TV in 1984 after nearly a decade away, responded, "I have seven TVs at home. It's either do this or throw them all out."

It may have been similar dissatification with the era's music that drew Frank Sinatra back to the studio in 1973. He may have seen his own views in Joe Raposo's "You Will Be My Music," which reads, "When I hear lonely singers...just as lost as me...making noise, not melody," then decided to revive classic, adult pop music his way. To deal with unfamiliar whats (nine relatively new songs, a new "'Ol Blue Eyes" nickname), he enlisted familiar whos (arranger/producers Don Costa and Gordon Jenkins) and wheres (recording took place at the MGM studios).

The result is a warmly sung, solid welcome back. Jenkins' arrangements are either grand and moving ("You Will Be My Music," "You're So Right,") or turgid and corny (Raposo's poignant "There Used To Be A Ballpark," sinks under near-1812-Overture style arrangement, while the bombastic "Noah" predates Jenkins' "Future" portion of "Trilogy.") "Dream Away" has a lullaby quality to it, but Kris Kristofferson's "Nobody Wins" is countrypolitan better left to Ray Price.

"Let Me Try Again," with new lyrics from Paul Anka and Sammy Cahn, is a message from Frank not just to a lover, but to his fans and, perhaps, even musicmaking itself. "It was only self-decieving to/walk away from someone who/meant everything in life to you," he sings, and walking back meant 20 more years' recording among the best - and worst - music of his career. But unlike the final "Duets" sessions of 1993, this time the music measured up to the event. Recommended.

SUBLIME SINATRA (AND MISSING SINATRA)
Somewhere round the age of 55 or so the process of fermentation peaked and Sinatra's matured glory was gifted to us. This album was, officially, the retirement comeback, but it is far more significant. Here, and in the even superior albums that followed - particularly the utterly sublime and unforgivably unavailable She Shot Me Down (1981) - Sinatra's blend of macho beligerence and brotherly wisdom achieved the tightrope-walker's perfect equilibrium. The early Capitol and Reprise works are, of course, seminal and essential to all music lovers (let's never forget that Sinatra virtually created the long-form conceptual album) - but these unmissable albums took him to a new audience and a new, profounder place. There are throwaway moments on Ol' Blue Eyes (Dream Away and Let Me Try Again seem contrived and sound like his infamous first-takes), but finally and triumphantly, his merger with mainstream pop in Kristoferson's Nobody Wins shows the full-circle mastery of all contemporary styles. She Shot Me Down, produced again by Don Costa, with input from Gordon Jenkins (and, this time, Nelson Riddle), is an even better album, if you can find it. Sinatra's reading of Hey Look, No Crying may be his best ever torch song, and the sardonic take on Thanks for the Memory has never been bettered. On the same album the track called I Loved Her (by Alec Wilder) should be taught to all aspirant vocalists: it is, in a phrase, pure genius at work. When one sees the relative scarcity of these great albums one despairs for the whimsical indulgence of our popular culture. The Sinatra shelves are crammed with bastardized collections - Best of, Tribute to, even Sinatra Karaoke, for heavens sake! - while the carefully modelled suites that Sinatra honed and sweated for are lost in the rush to distributor profits. In my view, Sinatra's elegant importance should be reflected in the marketing. He is closer to spring water than to root beer. Someone somewhere has him on the wrong supermarket shelf ...

Here's to the winners
The question is: back from where? The answer is: retirement. Yes, Frank Sinatra retired in 1970. It didn't last long, though. This "comeback" album was released in 1973. After that, Sinatra pretty much stayed unretired until he died 25 years later. This album, while not his best, has some good performances on it. I especially like the four songs written by Joe Raposo (Sesame Street composer). Recommended to Sinatra's fans.

Classical Sinatra CD
this cd is perhaps his work when he was old, and the music style is pretty different from the songs like Come Fly With Me or other songs like that. Some the those songs are from movie soundtrack.If you are looking for a smooth jazz cd, this is the one.

SOUL - DEEP SINATRA CLASSIC!!!!
AS A CHILD IN THE 50"S, I FELL IN LOVE WITH SINATRA FROM RADIO HITS LIKE "HIGH HOPES & ALL THE WAY". IN MY TEENS IN THE 60'S, HE CONTINUED WITH GREAT CLASSICS LIKE "STRANGERS IN THE NIGHT", "SUMMER WIND", THE SOUL-STIRRING "THAT'S LIFE"' AND THE GRAND EPIC "MY WAY". THEN CAME THE SINGER-SONGWRITER PERIOD AND HE WAS NO LONGER OUT FRONT. FINALLY IN 1973 HE DID A GREAT TELIVISION SPECIAL "OLD BLUE EYES IS BACK" AND RELEASED THIS ON L.P. BY THE SAME NAME-AND YOU KNEW THAT INDEED MR. SINATRA WAS BACK AND BETTER THAN EVER!! PLAY THIS ON A COLD RAINY NIGHT WITH THE FIREPLACE GOING AND A COOL BOTTLE OF WINE AND YOU WILL NEVER FORGET THE EXPERIENCE!!! HIS VOICE IS DARKER AND MORE SOULFUL THAN EVER AND HE STILL CAN BELT AT THIS POINT BETTER THAN ANYONE-JUST LISTEN TO THE GREAT OPENER "YOU WILL BE MY MUSIC"-IT IS A COMPLETE WINNER!!! NEXT IS THE MELANCHOLY "YOUR SO RIGHT-FOR WHAT'S WRONG IN MY LIFE" AND THIS VOCAL IS RICH AND SOULFUL. "WINNERS" IS ANOTHER SINATRA CLASSIC AND RELEASED IN THE 60'S WOULD HAVE BEEN A HIT. "NOBODY WINS" IS A REALLY HAUNTING BEAUTIFUL VOCAL AND HE FEELS THIS ONE DEEPLY. THIS IS MY FAVORITE VERSION OF "SEND IN THE CLOWNS" AND IS THE FIRST ONE THAT HE RECORDED OF THIS CLASSIC AND HE IS ALSO REALLY IN GREAT VOICE. PAUL WILLIAMS WROTE MANY CLASSICS AND ONE OF MY FAVORITES IS THIS GLORIOUS VERSION OF "DREAM AWAY". ANOTHER GREAT PAUL ANKA SONG THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN A BIG HIT IS THE WONDERFULLY SUNG "LET ME TRY AGAIN". THIS GREAT SONG FINDS SINATRA AT HIS VERY BEST AND HE WOULD GO ON DOING THIS CLASSIC THROUGH THE YEARS IN MANY OF HIS CONCERT APPEARANCES. GORDON JENKIN'S GREAT TALENT SHOWS IN THE ARRANGEMENT OF "THERE USE TO BE A BALLPARK" WHICH ALSO FINDS FRANK AT HIS SALOON-SINGER BEST!!! THE ATHEM IS SAVED FOR LAST AND WHAT A TOUR-DE-FORCE "NOAH" IS!! WHEN MR. SINATRA SINGS "WE WILL WALK WITH THE LIONS, SOAR WITH THE EAGLE" YOU ARE LIFTED INTO THE SKY BY HIS SOARING VOCAL!!! I HAVE ALWAYS FELT THAT THIS IS "THE" UNDISCOVERED SINATRA CLASSIC THAT WAS SOMEHOW LOST IN THE ERA OF THE SINGER-SONGWRITER BUT NOW PRESERVED FOR ALL TO ENJOY ON COMPACT DISC!!!!THIS IS MY ALL TIME SINATRA FAVORITE!!!! DO NOT MISS THIS ONE!!!! HE IS REALLY AT HIS SOULFUL BEST!!!!! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Call him the retro Sinatra, the keeper of the big band flame, the swingin' piano man, but Harry Connick Jr., remains one of New Orleans' treasures. His second Christmas CD is as much a salute to his hometown musical roots as it is to the season.Filled with second-line arrangements and fierce horn charts that could blow all that holiday chill back to Canada, Connick's latest revisits upbeat standards such as "Frosty The Snowman," "Blue Christmas," "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town," and others. Most swing and romp, but the hymns are given the reverential vocal treatment that Connick is known for on his more secular love ballads. Surprises include a quirky arrangement of "Silver Bells," in what sounds all the world like a Henry Mancini score for an action film. And there's four Connick originals that don't quite match the level of the covers, except for what must be the oddest pairing of talents all season, the duet with country singer George Jones on "Nothin' New For the New Year," an inspired tune and performance from two master stylists. There's nothing quite as lasting as the chestnut he penned on his first Christmas CD, "I Pray on Christmas," but for fans, here's a merry Harry N'awlins holiday love fest. --Martin Keller ... Read more

Reviews (59)

Harry gets - Muddled in the Middle
I buy one (at least) Christmas CD a year. And this is the one for 2003. I have a couple of Harry Conick CDs from his early years and thought he might have something to say about Christmas. I am not a fan of loud, big band full throttle Christmas music, but for the firts 9 songs Harry and his band rip up some tasty treats starting off with Frosty the Snowman. His self penned songs do have alot to be desired, where the Happy Elf sounds forced and cloying, the I Come with Love is down right depressing, and he sounds like an ailing Mel Torme. The disc takes a strange turn for songs 10 and 11, I Come with Love and Nature Boy - the arrangements are so discordant, weird and out of place - and take the joyful feeling so well created up to this point right out. The recording picks back up with a nice interpretation of Little Town of Bethlehem and finishes strong - Nothin' New For New Year (Connick original), and Silent Night. Overall, I just cant recommend this CD - Harry would have been better off making it a 14 song set - if you want a great jazz Holiday CD, pick up Holly Cole's - Baby it Cold Outside.

Growing on me, but not quite a 5
I love Harry's style. My most favorite Christmas of all time is Harry's "When My Heart Finds Christmas" and because of that, I can't quite give this CD a 5. It is amazing though. I especailly love Harry's ability to write new Christmas songs. One reviewer (Anita) mentioned how she didn't think the songs were related to Christmas. "I Come With Love" is a very touching song about Jesus, "The Happy Elf" (which my nephews insisted for awhile was "The Happy L") is one that every child will love. At first I was confused as to why "Nature Boy" would appear on a Christmas album, because I just kept thinking about Moulin Rouge and John Leguizamo...Anyway, I listened to it and saw how in the context of a CHRISTmas cd, he was making the song refer to Jesus. My very favorite track is "Jingle Bells" (not on all editions of the CD--I bought mine at Target) Harry sings 7 (I think it's 7) verses and it is VERY fun. I love "Silent Night" and the gospel feel of it. "Frosty the Snowman" is another of my nephew's favorites and it is definitely filled with joy! "Nothin' New for New Years" also helps with the 4 star instead of 5. I have a hard time with country music. Harry's vocals are great, but sorry, George Jones, I just don't like country music. It really is a wonderful Christmas CD. It's less Christmasy feeling and more jazzy feeling than Harry's other Christmas CD. Then again, it is also a more grown up Harry. Unlike Anita's feelings, I think he knows what he is doing...and by the way, the man DOESN'T drink....

Oh, Boy, Harry, Thanks a Lot . . . Really, Man, Thanks . . .
About 30 seconds into Harry's version of "Frosty the Snow Man" I started slamming my head against my George Foreman Grill, just hoping the music would stop.

And it didn't get any better by the time "Blue Christmas" rolled around, because then I started brushing my teeth with an egg-beater.

Merry Christmas, Harry. Keep on torturing us with your merry brand of jubilee, buddy.

Love Harry, Hate the CD
I really like Harry Connick Jr. I have Red Light, Blue Light and love most of the songs. I didn't like any on this CD. His arrangements were strange. I was disappointed but fortunately I received Michael Buble's Let it Snow at the same time, so I had something wonderful to listen to. I'll just stick to Michael from now on.

I'm just a HHHHHHappy Elf !!!!!!!
Thanks to Harry I'm a HAPPY ELF!!! Nice ear candy!! ... Read more

Reviews (19)

This one is a "no brainer"...
How about putting out a disc with 24 songs by America's greatest lyricists of the 20th century? Hey, how about if we make it two dozen songs that Frank Sinatra, the greatest male pop singer of the century, loved and recorded in great performances? And get this: Let's have Tony Bennett, arguably the second-best male pop singer in a hundred years of the recorded music industry, and who was called by Sinatra himself "my favorite singer" do the new versions. Wait, even better---we'll let the Ralph Sharon jazz trio, Tony's favorites for 40 years provide the beat for him. Why stop there? Let's price the darn thing reasonably, as well. Any Sinatra or Tony fan, music history fan, or bargain lover who does not buy this one is cheating him or herself.

Frank Sinatra's favorite singer singing Sinatra's greatest
Sinatra called Tony Bennett his favorite singer, and this CD beautifully returns the compliment.

The greatest quality of this album is that there's no attempt on Tony's part to sound like or even suggest Sinatra. So if anybody has reservations about one smooth great singer covering another's songs, they can forget it.

Not only does this album celebrate Sinatra, it also celebrates the era's great composers: Sammy Cahn & Jule Styne, Jimmie Van Heusen, Johnny Mercer, Cole Porter, Rodgers & Hart, Dietz & Schwartz, Victor Herbert, the Gershwins.

For those who appreciate the music of the 30's and 40's, of great pop & jazz standards from the time, this album is a must.

More like 20 stars--Perfectly Perfectly Tony
I am amazed at how few people realize this is one of the best recordings of the later 20th century/ This is Tony Bennett (in 1992) at what must be the absolute zenith of his talent. Here is Tony with an extraordnarily honest, well selected, marvelously sung collection of songs -- a superb, deeply entertaining "homage" to the pack-leader, Frank Sinatra. Let's face it -- THIS RECORDING IS VERY NEAR PERFECTION. If you prize great vocals, if you prize moving-intimate-wonderful-love-songs, if you prize Tony, if you prize the real meaning of Frank, and if you prize the best lyrics and the greatest melodies, then THIS is the one recording to own. Hands down. Perfectly Frank is perhaps the quintessential "Essential Recording." Buy this several times over, you cannot go wrong.

A elegant tribute album of Bennett covering Sinatra's songs
If there is one vocalist you could trust to do a proper cover album of song as a tribute to Frank Sinatra, then it would have to be Tony Bennett. Even though they recorded their tracks at different times for Sinatra's "Duets" album, Bennett did one of the better jobs on that album with "New York, New York." Even though Bennett is a crooner in the Sinatra tradition, he is still a distinctive vocalist and what he does works well with the songs that Sinatra sang. Consequently, from "Night and Day" to "I'll Be Seeing You," Bennett succeeds in these making these songs his own while at the same time they are tributes to Sinatra. The two dozens songs selected are mostly from the glory days of Sinatra in the 1950s and 1960s, so Bennett is bravely facing some of the classic songs that made Sinatra one of the greatest recording artists of the 20th century, such as "East of the Sun (West of the Moon," "The Lady is a Tramp," and "One More for the Baby (And One More for the Road)." Part of the reason that Bennett can get away with these covers is that he is backed by his regulars, the Ralph Sharon Trio (Sharon on piano, Paul Langosch on bass, & Joe La Barbera drums). Consquently the arrangements are simpler, not competing with the familiar ones of Nelson Riddle or Gordon Jenkins, and allowing the recordings to focus on Bennett's voice as he adds his own touch to each of Sinatra's song. "Simply Sinatra" should be appreciated by fans of both singers.

The cream of the crop
Tony Bennett has recorded many fine albums down through the years, but this is the cream of the crop. If I had to choose just one Tony Bennett album to keep it would have to be this one. Impeccable, flawless, and oozing class. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Only Frank Sinatra has put his indelible stamp on as many pages of the American Popular Songbook as Ella Fitzgerald. But while Sinatra specialized in mood-themed albums (his composer-based collections were compiled from material already released), Fitzgerald's ambitious songbooks devoted themselves to one great songwriter after another: Cole Porter, the Gershwins, Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, Harold Arlen, and so on. Her two-volume Rodgers and Hart project ranks with the best, and if Buddy Bergman's arrangements are a bit sweeter than his Cole Porter settings, or Nelson Riddle's Gershwin treatments, they suit the material just fine. And what a wide range of material it is (with original verses intact!), intermingling novelty show tunes ("Give It Back to the Indians," "Johnny One Note"), sophisticated standards ("Manhattan," "Blue Moon," "The Lady Is a Tramp"), and lush ballads ("Isn't It Romantic," "It Never Entered My Mind"). But the most exquisite thing Fitzgerald ever recorded is her seven-minute "Bewitched" (a.k.a. "Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered") on volume 2, casting a spell of hushed reverie that makes time stand still. --Jim Emerson ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Been playing it for weeks!
I've had both CDs in this set in my car for weeks and I can't move on! The combination of Ella Fitzgerald's instrument and Rodgers and Hart's songs is incomparable. I also like the variety Buddy Bregman's arrangements add to the whole package. In my opinion, the hallmark of Rodgers and Hart is the smart, quirky lyrics and patterns, not to mention the beautiful melodies. Try "Dancing on the Ceiling" to see what I'm getting at. There's even a touch of the bawdy in that Ella does all of "Bewitched" (other artists usually sing about half); "Horizontally speaking, he's at his very best." Wow! Other standouts in this collection are "With a Song in My Heart," "Where or When" and of course, "My Funny Valentine." This may be the best CD I've bought in years. I could listen to it all day, oh wait, I do listen to it all day!

Another essential Ella Songbook
Having listened to and loved Ella's Cole Porter discs, I decided to branch out a bit. She's just as brilliant with Rodgers and Hart as she is with Porter, and what wonderful songs! This set is right up there with the Cole Porter set... both sets have sophisticated and witty lyrics and songs with melodies so familiar that they are standards of American popular music.

It's truly refreshing to hear "The Lady is a Tramp" sung with real class and style, instead of hearing it belted out by the usual suspects. "Manhattan" is one of my favorites, even though some might object to the rather over-produced orchestral backing. You have not heard songs like "Isn't it Romantic" until you've heard Ella sing them.... just as with Cole Porter's songs, it's as if they were written expressly for her.

The lesser-known songs are great, too.... Ella singing "To Keep My Love Alive" is a treat that will have you laughing out loud as she delivers the lyrics in a deadpan style, clearly enunciating the various ways she's sent her many husbands to the great beyond. She can even carry off a novelty tune like "Johnny One Note" (though someone should have told her that the first syllable of "Verdi" does not rhyme with "her"... but it's Ella, who cares??).

All in all, this is a set that is not to be missed!

One of the Best!
One of the best! Buddy Bregman superbly arranges for Ella. He makes Johnny One Note & With a Song in My Heart fit her range while still being innovative & aesthetic. A major thing is that Sing For Your Supper, He Was to Good to Me, Falling in Love With Love, Glad to be Unhappy, Why Can't I, Nobody's Heart, Most Handsome Boy in the World, Tree In the Park, It's Gotta To Be Love, It's Easy to Remember, You Are Too Beautiful, You're Nearer, I'll Tell Man in the Street, Quiet Night, Where's That Rainbow, Lady Must Live, & I'd Like to Recognize the Tune should have been added to this set. What I'm saying is Rodger & Hart wrote a massive amount of great songs. Back when I cassette taped my own Great American Songs Books by my favorite artists, I found out R&H had more songs recorded than any of their peers! It was easy to find great versions of their masterpieces! Ella & Buddy make this ***** by including forgotten treasure such as To Keep My Love Alive, about a female bluebeard, & Everything I've Got & I Wish I Were In Love Again. Those last 2 make S&M an underrated pastime. Hart could make a love song an intellectual or satirical excercise. Whenever his fellow lyricists tried, where they inspired by him? Did they suucced? Listen to Bewithced. What song so well covers the entire history of an affair? Was there any other song? Rodgers was at least Hart's equal. Who could write such beautiful nonrepetitive melodies. Too many compsoers, old & new, just repeat the same melody. Actually, Hart got equal billing with Rodgers when lyricists were genarally subornate to composers. Producer & manager, Norman Granz, should have put into this R&H tribute the same massive care that the Gershwin set received. Those 17 missing songs & the instrumental Slaughter On 10th Avenue should have been in the set. Rogers & Hart songs are far superior to the Gerswhins' songs! To hear the magnificent 17, check Mel, Sassy, Carmen, Barbra, Judy, Eydie, Lena, & Maureen McGovern. Still, don't get me wrong, this is really a ********** gem.

These albums are for the ages.
One of the most important reasons to stay alive.

A bit too 'sweet' for me im afraid...
As great as Ella is, and as great as her songbook series is, im afraid this one is well done but too sickly sweet for me. youll really need a sweet tooth to be able to take two discs of this stuff. The arrangements are far too slushy and slow on most of the tunes, and whilst the material is wonderful, those arrangements dont do it justice. as a pop album this is great, but if youre looking for jazz interpretations of these very jazz-styled songs, look elsewhere. 'Tony Bennett sings Rogers and Hart' (on the Rhino label) is a great example of how these tunes can be taken to an intimate level with a real jazzy sense. These arrangments almost drown ella on some of the slow ballads in slushy strings. thats not to say that there arent some tunes here that really swing, but they are fewer than one would like. for far better jazz-rooted entries in ella's songbook series, look to Cole Porter, Irving Berlin and (best of all) Duke Ellington. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Given his enormous talent and unparalleled musical history--not to mention the healthy, suffer-no-fools ego they inspired--it's hardly surprising that duets are relatively few and far between in Frank Sinatra's catalog, his smash duet on "Somethin' Stupid" with daughter Nancy notwithstanding. But in the heyday of the TV variety show, the star-hosted format virtually demanded musical cross-pollination, a tradition that carried over from radio. It's that fertile, largely unexplored territory that this rewarding, 21-track anthology (most previously unreleased on CD) explores in conjunction with the PBS special of the same name.

Here, Sinatra scales the jazz summit with Louis Armstrong on "Birth of the Blues" and does three electrifying collaborations with one of his faves, Ella Fitzgerald. Rat Pack cohorts Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr.--along with honorary member Bing Crosby--loosen up the legend as always, and even rival Elvis Presley gets the Chairman's respect on a wonderfully playful meeting-of-the-icons medley of "Witchcraft"-"Love Me Tender." A warm, welcome addition to the Sinatra canon, whose banter-filled performances emphasize the saloon singer supreme's humor and humanity. --Jerry McCulley ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Broad Variety for the Chairman
For many, Frank Sinatra is THE consummate crooner. And some of his work really shines anew when it's done in concert with another performer. Hence the success and quality of Duets and Duets II. So it's not unusual for another trip back to the vault to produce the Classic Duets. What results is a hodge-podge of duets which are more notable for their variety than their quality. As noted, many of these come from old videotape and such, so the sound quality is not the best on all the songs. and some of the medleys get tiresome, just bouncing from one song to another with neither performer bringing much to the collaboration. But it does also sport some one time collaborations with other premier artists of the era, including Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Prima & Keely Smith, Bing Crosby and fellow rat-packers Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. Acting as an interesting counterpoint are duets with his daughter Nancy, including a touching father-daughter duet of "You Make Me Feel So Old (Young)" that help to spotlight the paternal side of Frank. Collections such as this always seem to sport a surprise track that is just off the wall - on this one it's a duet with Frank and Elvis which, while not deep or groundbreaking, is surprisingly fun with each artist crooning the other's song.

This disc is not THE collection to get for Sinatra's work with other artists. It is a perfect disc for the fan who is looking for examples of his broad-based collaboration, and proof that the other Duets albums were not opportunistic collaborations, rather they were an outgrowth of what Frank had been doing all along.

How 'Bout a "Classic Solos" from the old TV Shows?
Don't get me wrong, this is a wonderful set. But it's too bad Capitol sees the "Duets" concept as a money-maker. A better CD would have the best of these tracks along with Frank's many solo performances from the old TV shows. The success, both critical and commercial, of Rhino's recent "Sinatra in Hollywood" box shows that there is a market for a more complete record of his TV performances. Instead, we get this teaser, marketed to go on the shelf alongside the abysmal "Duets" CDs of the 1990s.

Still, any unreleased Frank is better than none at all, so let's get to the highlights. The Frank 'n' Bing "September Song" is wonderful, as is "Birth of the Blues" with Satchmo. The songs with Peggy Lee and Ella are not to be missed, either. Personally, I've heard the Frank/Elvis duet once too often--neither were at their peak there. All in all, though, some of this is great, some is fun, all of it is worth a listen.

Would it have killed Capitol to have included the original broadcast dates, however? For more info, go to sinatraarchive.com and look under "Television" in the Reference section. All of these date between November 1957 and May 1960.

these are sinatra's songs
i'm a huge fan of ol' blue eyes, and i can't say i dislike this cd .. these are only some of his classic songs, and it's very enjoyable to listen to frank sinatra sing with some modern artists .. but some of the tracks are butchered by the other half of the duet .. they try to make it their own song, when the truth is, it's FRANK SINATRA's song .. it's his own genre, and some of the artists on the cd like gloria estefan, luther vandross, and julio iglesias, who are all in different music genres than sinatra, try too hard to make it sound different .. i guess they're trying to make the song unique, but it definitely doesn't work for me .. the highlights of the whole cd are "they can't take that away from me" & "new york, new york" and others

Duets III is a Disappointment
Although I loved "Duets" and "Duets II", "Duets III" simply does not make the grade. With 21 tracks, perhaps the producer thought that he'd make up for in quantity what the album lacks in quality. Quality is what is lacking in this album. The tracks are of poor acoustical quality compared to Duets 1 and 2. It sounds as though most of the tracks were lifted from TV and radio recordings - the sound quality truly suffers in the process. Oh, there are some brief rays of sunshine, but overall, the album only appeals to those who have to have every song Sinatra ever recorded.

I do not recommend this album. If you can get it used or at a discounted price it might be worth it, but even then, it is an album that disappoints.

Jim Konedog Koenig

Frank Sinatra Classic Duets
Quite disappointed. It is poor recording. ... Read more

Reviews (20)

Sinatra in top Form
This, along with the "Sinatra's Swingin' Session" album, are in my opinion, proabably the best albums Frank ever did in the big band jazz idiom. Johnny Mandel wrote most of the arrangements on this album, and they are a bit more jazz-oriented than the Nelson Riddle charts from the 5 or so years before. This band and this record really swing. On one cut, "Let's Fall in Love", Sinatra pauses after the intro for a full two bars before he (and the band) pick it up again and jump into a great piano-backed arrangement that is really "in the pocket". It's the greatest use of dead space I can think of, and one of my favorite Sinatra moments of all time. The album is just full of great moments like this, very syncopated and finger-snapping. The songs here are not all standards, but that doesn't make the music any less enjoyable or interesting. The arrangements, great jazz intrumental performances, Sinatra's voice, and his phrasing make this whole album such a fun ride. It's hard to imagine anyone not enjoying this album, so rest assured it's worth twice the price of the CD.

One of the top 5 REPRISE recordings by Sinatra
This is a great, jazzy album with Sinatra in superb vocal form. Don't believe the ALL MUSIC GUIDE TO JAZZ (book) review of 3 stars ( out of 5 ). This is definitely 5 star Sinatra. The previous three reviewers are really dead-on in their assessments. I particularly like Scott Porter's statement that "RING-A-DING-DING" is the Reprise era's equivalent to the Capitol release "SONGS FOR SWINGIN' LOVERS". I feel that "R.A.D.D." is one of the 5 best REPRISE recordings that Sinatra made ( along with SINATRA & STRINGS, FRANCIS ALBERT SINATRA & ANTONIO CARLOS JOBIM, SINATRA-BASIE and SEPTEMBER OF MY YEARS ). The only possible criticism I have about "R.A.D.D." is that the recorded sound is not as good as the Capitol era sound. This is, however, a common problem with many of the Reprise era recordings. Mind you, the sound is in no way an impediment to enjoying "R.A.D.D." and, thankfully, the ongoing 20-BIT remastering program by REPRISE ( & CAPITOL ) is doing a lot to improve the sound quality of REPRISE era recordings ( check out SWING ALONG WITH ME for a great example ).

Some Of You Just Don't Get It
I agree with most of the reviews on here but some of these people are way off base. This is one of his finest works and indeed should be on the top ten of anyone's FS collection. One of the bonus tracks on the later release, "Zing Went The Strings" was part of these sessions but Frank asked that it be destroyed. Thanks to some engineer he did not do so and it came back on the later release. Frank's voice and his timing are utterly flawless. I listen to this over and over. While I Remember Tommy was a great album, it does not hold a candle to this one.

File under "F" for Fun
Tired of listening to "children's music" on long family drives? You know what sappy dreck I mean. This is our official family traveling CD. Courtesy of Messrs. Sinatra and Mandel, you can engage in fun family sing-a-longs while teaching your kids how to be cool. My 5 year old and 18 month old have left Raffi at the last rest stop, and love our new hitchiker, Ol' Blue Eyes. Now, if only I can teach them to make a perfect Rob Roy...

Sinatra's first Reprise album shows arrogant assurance
"Ring a Ding Ding" was Frank Sinatra's first album for Reprise, his own label. T