Helen Humes - Swingin' With Humes

Styles: Vocal, Swing
Year: 1961
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:37
Size: 96,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:29)  1. When Day Is Done
(3:55)  2. Home (When Shadows Fall)
(2:53)  3. There'll Be Some Changes Made
(3:36)  4. Some Day My Prince Will Come
(3:48)  5. I'm Confessin'
(3:09)  6. S'posin'
(3:19)  7. Pennies From Heaven
(3:17)  8. The Very Thought Of You
(3:27)  9. Baby Won't You Please Come Home
(4:01) 10. Solitude
(4:01) 11. I Surrender Dear
(2:35) 12. My Blue Heaven

The third of Helen Humes' three memorable Contemporary releases, all of which are out on CD, features the distinctive singer on a dozen standards that she had missed documenting thus far. With fine backup work by trumpeter Joe Gordon, tenor saxophonist Teddy Edwards, pianist Wynton Kelly, guitarist Al Viola, bassist Leroy Vinnegar and drummer Frank Butler, Humes is in top form on such tunes as "When Day Is Done," "There'll Be Some Changes Made," "Pennies From Heaven" and "The Very Thought of You." One of her better albums.
By Scott Yanow  https://www.allmusic.com/album/swingin-with-humes-mw0000691152

Personnel:  Vocals – Helen Humes;  Tenor Saxophone – Teddy Edwards;  Trumpet – Joe Gordon;   Bass – Leroy Vinnegar;  Drums – Frank Butler;  Guitar – Al Viola;  Piano – Wynton Kelly

Swingin' With Humes

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Helen Humes - Songs I Like To Sing!

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:40
Size: 88.5 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz/blues
Year: 1960/2011
Art: Front

[3:21] 1. If I Could Be With You (One Hour Tonight)
[2:56] 2. Don't Worry 'bout Me
[3:25] 3. Mean To Me
[3:51] 4. Every Now And Then
[2:57] 5. I Want A Roof Over My Head
[2:43] 6. St Louis Blues
[3:09] 7. You're Driving Me Crazy
[3:22] 8. My Old Flame
[4:07] 9. Million Dollar Secret
[2:58] 10. Love Me Or Leave Me
[3:06] 11. Imagination
[2:40] 12. Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone

One of the high points of Helen Humes' career, this Contemporary set (reissued on CD) features superior songs, superb backup, and very suitable and swinging arrangements by Marty Paich. Humes' versions of "If I Could Be With You," "You're Driving Me Crazy," and "Million Dollar Secret," in particular, are definitive. On four songs, she is backed by tenor great Ben Webster, a rhythm section, and a string quartet; the other numbers find her joined by a 14-piece band that includes Webster and Teddy Edwards on tenors along with altoist Art Pepper. This classic release is essential and shows just how appealing a singer Helen Humes could be. ~Scott Yanow

Songs I Like To Sing mc
Songs I Like To Sing zippy

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Helen Humes - Blue And Sentimental

Size: 135,8 MB
Time: 58:10
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2002
Styles: Jazz/Blues Vocals
Art: Front

01. He May Be Your Man (2:57)
02. Every Now And Then (3:15)
03. Unlucky Woman (3:57)
04. Blue Prelude (3:08)
05. Its Better To Give Than To Receive (2:52)
06. Please Let Me Forget (3:06)
07. He Don't Love Me Anymore (2:48)
08. See, See, Rider (2:45)
09. Pleasing Man Blues (3:03)
10. Central Avenue Boogie (2:36)
11. Married Man Blues (2:56)
12. Be Ba Ba Le Ba Boogie (2:41)
13. Jet Propelled Papa (2:42)
14. They Raided The Joint (2:27)
15. Blue And Sentimental (3:08)
16. I Just Refuse To Sing The Blues (2:55)
17. Jumpin' On Sugar Hill (2:55)
18. Mad About You (2:59)
19. Flippity Flop Flop (1:59)
20. Today I Sing The Blues (2:51)

Helen Humes was a versatile singer equally skilled on blues, swing standards, and ballads. Her cheerful style was always a joy to hear. As a child, she played piano and organ in church, and made her first recordings (ten blues songs in 1927) when she was only 13 and 14. In the 1930s, she worked with Stuff Smith and Al Sears, recording with Harry James in 1937-1938. In 1938, Humes joined Count Basie's Orchestra for three years. Since Jimmy Rushing specialized in blues, Helen Humes mostly got stuck singing pop ballads, but she did a fine job. After freelancing in New York (1941-1943) and touring with Clarence Love (1943-1944), Humes moved to Los Angeles. She began to record as a leader and had a hit in "Be-Baba-Leba"; her 1950 original "Million Dollar Secret" is a classic. Humes sometimes performed with Jazz at the Philharmonic, but was mostly a single in the 1950s. She recorded three superb albums for Contemporary during 1959-1961, and had tours with Red Norvo. She moved to Australia in 1964, returning to the U.S. in 1967 to take care of her ailing mother. Humes was out of the music business for several years, but made a full comeback in 1973, and stayed busy up until her death. Throughout her career, Helen Humes recorded for such labels as Savoy, Aladdin, Mercury, Decca, Dootone, Contemporary, Classic Jazz, Black & Blue, Black Lion, Jazzology, Columbia, and Muse. ~by Scott Yanow

Blue And Sentimental

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Red Norvo - Red Plays The Blues

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 47:26

Size: 108.6 MB

Styles: Vibraphone jazz

Year: 1958/2009

Art: Front

[5:37] 1. Britt's Blues

[7:00] 2. The Night Is Blue

[4:32] 3. Shed No Tears

[7:20] 4. Easy On The Eyes

[6:48] 5. Just A Mood

[7:25] 6. I Sing The Blues

[8:40] 7. Sunrise Blues

Red Norvo played the vibes while leading his own band during the swing era and grew into smaller groups in the forties and fifites once the practicality of leading a large ensemble became too much. He was one of the first to specialize of what has always been somewhat of an unusual instrument for jazz, but his nimble soloing and chords provided a template for others like Milt Jackson to follow.

Red Plays the Blues is a fantastic session. Four of the numbers feature Ben Webster and Harry "Sweets" Edison in the front line, and it's very difficult to have anything less than a captivating listen when those two are involved. With Jimmy Rowles at the piano (who was also Billy Holiday's go to accompanist) Webster and Edison are completely in their wheelhouse with Webster's gusty swoops offering a counterpoint to Edison's bright bursts. Norvo seems invigorated by their presence and lays down some soulful bluesy lines. The remaining tracks return to the big band sound of Red Norvo in Stereo. This time, however, Humes sounds more at home in the bluesy number than she did on dance numbers. Red Norvo Plays the Blues is hard to beat in presenting both sides of the vibraphonist's talents. ~David Rickert

Red Norvo - Vibes; Jimmy Rowles, John Williams: piano; Helen Humes: vocals; Harry Edison: trumpet; Ben Webster: tenor sax; Red Mitchell: bass.

Red Plays The Blues

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Helen Humes - Sneakin' Around

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:59
Size: 153.4 MB
Styles: Jazz-blues vocals
Year: 1974/2008
Art: Front

[3:46] 1. Exactly Like You
[5:06] 2. St. Louis Blues
[5:45] 3. Every Now And Then
[3:41] 4. Sometimes I'm Happy
[4:46] 5. One Hundred Years From Today
[2:54] 6. Sneaking Around With You
[3:07] 7. You're Driving Me Crazy
[6:13] 8. Confessin'
[9:13] 9. Tribute To Jimmy Rushing
[3:50] 10. Everyday I Have The Blues
[4:59] 11. St. Louis Blues
[3:48] 12. Sometimes I'm Happy
[2:51] 13. Sneaking Around With You
[3:09] 14. You're Driving Me Crazy
[3:42] 15. Everyday I Have The Blues

Helen Humes did both bawdy, double entendre-laden blues and R&B and more sophisticated jazz-tinged numbers during her career. This set, done with Gerald Badini, Gerry Wiggins, Major Holley, and Ed Thigpen, had a little of both, and was spiced up by Humes, singing with equal parts sass and grace. It was originally done for the Black & Blue label. ~Ron Wynn

Sneakin' Around

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