Showing posts with label Kay Starr. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kay Starr. Show all posts

Tuesday, November 8, 2022

Various - Capitol Sings Johnny Mercer

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:03
Size: 162.7 MB
Styles: Vocal, Easy Listening
Year: 1991
Art: Front

[3:17] 1. Ella Mae Morse - Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate The Positive
[3:11] 2. Martha Tilton - And The Angels Sing
[2:49] 3. Gordon MacRae - Autumn Leaves
[3:12] 4. Jo Stafford - Blues In The Night
[1:53] 5. Blossom Dearie - Charade
[3:40] 6. Judy Garland - Come Rain Or Come Shine
[2:22] 7. Nat King Cole - Day In-Day Out
[3:16] 8. Matt Monro - Days Of Wine And Roses
[2:47] 9. The Pied Pipers - Dream
[2:32] 10. Benny Goodman - Goody Goody
[2:52] 11. Johnny Mercer - Glow Worm
[2:55] 12. The Four Freshmen - I Thought About You
[2:49] 13. Dinah Shore - I'm Old Fashioned
[2:57] 14. Dean Martin - In The Cool Cool Cool Of The Evening
[2:16] 15. Stan Kenton & His Orchestra - Jeepers Creepers
[2:22] 16. Vic Damone - Laura
[3:26] 17. Lena Horne - Moon River
[3:03] 18. Johnny Mercer - On The Atchison, Topeka & The Sante Fe
[4:13] 19. Harold Arlen - One For My Baby (And One More For The Road)
[2:58] 20. Kay Starr - P.S. I Love You
[2:21] 21. Nancy Wilson - Satin Doll
[4:00] 22. Hoagy Carmichael - Skylark
[2:54] 23. Keely Smith - That Old Black Magic
[2:47] 24. Andy Russell - Too Marvelous For Words

Singer/songwriter Johnny Mercer was one of the founders of Capitol Records in the early '40s, so it's appropriate that he rates his own volume in the label's various-artists songbook compilation series of the 1990s (one that has already had discs devoted to Cole Porter and George Gershwin). As a lyricist working over a long career, Mercer provides a varied range of material for inclusion. This is a man who was setting words to 1930s swing hits like "And the Angels Sing," "Goody Goody," and "Satin Doll," and was still going strong in the 1960s, when he was writing movie themes like "Moon River" and "The Days of Wine and Roses" with Henry Mancini. In between, there were standards of the ‘40s such as "Blues in the Night" and "That Old Black Magic," and ‘50s favorites like "Autumn Leaves" and "In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening." Capitol was devoted to singers, which allowed it to take advantage of the post-swing era of the late ‘40s and ‘50s when singers ruled. Tops among them was Frank Sinatra, a Capitol artist, who apparently didn't allow his recordings to be compiled on this sort of collection. But many other important singers are included, among them Judy Garland, Nat King Cole, Dinah Shore, and Dean Martin. And Mercer himself pops in several times, as do a couple of his composer collaborators, Harold Arlen and Hoagy Carmichael. Although Mercer has an identifiable writing style, full of a self-invented Southern slang ("swingeroonie!," "my huckleberry friend"), his teaming with different sorts of composers allows for many different musical styles on this disc, making it one of the rangier volumes in the series. ~William Ruhlmann

Capitol Sings Johnny Mercer

Wednesday, October 6, 2021

Tony Bennett - Playin' With My Friends: Bennett Sings The Blues

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:05
Size: 130.7 MB
Styles: Vocal
Year: 2001
Art: Front

[3:28] 1. Alright, Okay, You Win (With Diana Krall)
[3:35] 2. Everyday (I Have The Blues) (With Stevie Wonder)
[2:41] 3. Don't Cry Baby
[4:53] 4. Good Morning Heartache (With Sheryl Crow)
[3:14] 5. Let The Good Times Roll (With B.B. King)
[4:12] 6. Evenin' (With Ray Charles)
[3:52] 7. I Gotta Right To Sing The Blues (With Bonnie Raitt)
[3:49] 8. Keep The Faith, Baby (With K.D. Lang)
[3:23] 9. Old Count Basie Is Gone (Old Piney Brown Is Gone)
[3:19] 10. Blue And Sentimental (With Kay Starr)
[4:29] 11. New York State Of Mind (With Billy Joel)
[3:15] 12. Undecided Blues
[3:32] 13. Blues In The Night
[4:32] 14. Stormy Weather (With Natalie Cole)
[4:45] 15. Playin' With My Friends (With Others)

Tony Bennett's latter-day albums tend to have themes, and this one has two, as indicated by its double-barreled title: It is both a duets album and a blues album. The duet partners include ten singers who range from his recent touring partners Diana Krall and k.d. lang to fellow veterans Ray Charles, B.B. King, and Kay Starr, and younger, but still mature pop stars Stevie Wonder, Bonnie Raitt, and Billy Joel. All sound happy to be sharing a mic with Bennett. Not surprisingly, the singer's conception of the blues does not extend to the Mississippi Delta or the South Side of Chicago; rather, he is interested in the blues as filtered through the sound of the Swing Era, particularly from around Kansas City, and as interpreted by Tin Pan Alley and show tunes. For the former, his true mentor is Count Basie, whose overt influence is heard on six of the 15 tracks. Bennett makes no attempt to hide this, leading off the album with two songs, "Alright, Okay, You Win" (a duet with Krall) and "Everyday (I Have the Blues)" (a duet with Wonder), closely associated with Basie singer Joe Williams. The Broadway and Hollywood blues style is introduced in three selections written by Harold Arlen. On about half the tracks, the Ralph Sharon Quartet is augmented by Harry Allen's saxophone and Mike Melvoin's Hammond organ, but this remains a small, intimate affair that emphasizes the singers. There are missteps -- Sheryl Crow's Billie Holiday impersonation on "Good Morning, Heartache" is unfortunate, and Natalie Cole, as usual, sounds out of her depth on "Stormy Weather." But the trade-offs Bennett enjoys with King and Charles are priceless, and the Joel duet is surprisingly effective. On the whole, this is yet another entry in Bennett's lengthening series of autumnal recorded triumphs. ~William Ruhlmann

Playin' with My Friends"

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Kay Starr - The Fabulous Favorites

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 31:54
Size: 74,3 MB
Art: Front

(2:53)  1. Side By Side
(2:50)  2. So Tired
(2:31)  3. Mississippi
(2:46)  4. I'm The Lonesomest Gal In Town
(2:49)  5. Half A Photograph
(2:24)  6. Comes A-Long A-Love
(2:28)  7. Bonaparte's Retreat
(3:06)  8. Wheel Of Fortune
(2:47)  9. The Rock And Roll Waltz
(2:14) 10. Hoop-Dee-Doo
(2:38) 11. Allez-Vous-En
(2:21) 12. Foolin' Around

A solid jazz singer whose early recordings tended to be forgotten after her ascendancy into the commercial sphere during the mid-'50s, Kay Starr was among the first pop singers to capitalize on the "rock fad" with her 1955 novelty "Rock and Roll Waltz." Her biggest hit came with the era-defining "Wheel of Fortune," a prime slice of '50s adult pop with a suitably brassy reading. Born in Oklahoma, she moved to Dallas at a young age and made her debut on radio while still in school. A brief stay with Glenn Miller & His Orchestra precipitated her working with groups led by Bob Crosby, Joe Venuti, and finally Charlie Barnet. She recorded a few numbers with Barnet that earned her a solo contract with Capitol. By 1948, Starr made her Your Hit Parade breakthrough with "You Were Only Foolin' (While I Was Falling in Love)." Subsequent hits like "Hoop-Dee-Doo," "Oh, Babe!," and "I'll Never Be Free" (the latter with Tennessee Ernie Ford) framed her in an emerging vein of the popular market that also looked back to traditional country and folk. In 1952, "Wheel of Fortune" became her biggest hit and one of the signature songs of the '50s pop sound. She struggled to reach a similar chart peak for several years afterwards, though "Comes A-Long A-Love" topped the British charts. With her move to RCA in 1955, the comical "Rock and Roll Waltz" spent several weeks at number one. It was her last major hit, followed by just one additional Top Ten entry, 1957's "My Heart Reminds Me." By the 1960s, she had begun to concentrate more on performing (especially in Las Vegas) than recording, despite moving back to Capitol in 1961. She subsequently played several oldies packages, including the 3 Girls 3 tour with Helen O'Connell and Margaret Whiting. Kay Starr died at her home in Los Angeles in November 2016; she was 94 years old. ~ John Bush https://www.allmusic.com/artist/kay-starr-mn0000857203/biography

The Fabulous Favorites

Tuesday, July 9, 2019

Kay Starr, Erroll Garner - Singin' Kay Starr, Swingin' Erroll Garner

Styles: Vocal And Piano Jazz
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 26:45
Size: 62,9 MB
Art: Front

(1:52)  1. Ain't Misbehavin'
(3:04)  2. Good for Nothing Joe
(5:41)  3. Lover
(2:59)  4. Just You, Just Me
(1:49)  5. Them There Eyes
(6:06)  6. Blue Lou
(2:29)  7. Tenderly
(2:41)  8. Little Girl

A solid jazz singer whose early recordings tended to be forgotten after her ascendancy into the commercial sphere during the mid '50s, Kay Starr was among the first pop singers to capitalize on the "rock fad" with her 1955 novelty "Rock and Roll Waltz." Her biggest hit came with the era-defining "Wheel of Fortune," a prime slice of '50s adult pop with a suitably brassy reading. Born in Oklahoma, she moved to Dallas at a young age and made her debut on radio while still in school. A brief stay with Glenn Miller & His Orchestra precipitated her working with groups led by Bob Crosby, Joe Venuti, and finally Charlie Barnet. She recorded a few numbers with Barnet that earned her a solo contract with Capitol.  By 1948, Starr made her Your Hit Parade breakthrough with "You Were Only Foolin' (While I Was Falling in Love)." Subsequent hits like "Hoop-Dee-Doo," "Oh, Babe!," and "I'll Never Be Free" (the latter with Tennessee Ernie Ford) framed her in an emerging vein of the popular market that also looked back to traditional country and folk. In 1952, "Wheel of Fortune" became her biggest hit and one of the signature songs of the '50s pop sound. She struggled to reach a similar chart peak for several years afterwards, though "Comes A-Long A-Love" topped the British charts. With her move to RCA in 1955, the comical "Rock and Roll Waltz" spent several weeks at number one. It was her last major hit, followed by just one additional Top Ten entry, 1957's "My Heart Reminds Me." By the 1960s, she had begun to concentrate more on performing (especially in Las Vegas) than recording, despite moving back to Capitol in 1961. She subsequently played several oldies packages, including the 3 Girls 3 tour with Helen O'Connell and Margaret Whiting. Kay Starr died at her home in Los Angeles in November 2016; she was 94 years old. ~ John Bush https://www.allmusic.com/artist/kay-starr-mn0000857203/biography

Singin' Kay Starr, Swingin' Erroll Garner

Thursday, October 26, 2017

Various - Lost Hits Of The 50s

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:06
Size: 110.2 MB
Styles: Pop
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[2:19] 1. Laurie London - He's Got The Whole World In His Hands
[2:00] 2. The Four Knights - Oh Baby Mine (I Get So Lonely)
[2:21] 3. Tommy Sands - Teen-Age Crush
[2:20] 4. Thurston Harris - Little Bitty Pretty One
[3:11] 5. Teen Queens - Eddie My Love
[2:04] 6. Ray Anthony - Undecided
[2:24] 7. Kay Starr - Oh, Babe!
[2:50] 8. Ed Townsend - For Your Love
[2:32] 9. Helen O'Connell - Slow Poke
[1:51] 10. Patience & Prudence - Tonight You Belong To Me
[2:25] 11. The Falcons - You're So Fine
[2:21] 12. Gisele MacKenzie - Don't Let The Stars Get In Your Eyes
[2:10] 13. The Cheers - Black Denim Trousers & Motorcycle Boots
[2:36] 14. Marv Johnson - You Got What It Takes
[2:14] 15. Ernie Freeman - Raunchy
[2:28] 16. Jean Shepard - A Dear John Letter
[3:03] 17. The Cadets - Stranded In The Jungle
[2:33] 18. Kit Carson - Band Of Gold
[1:50] 19. The Clovers - Love Potion No. 9
[2:24] 20. Don Robertson - The Happy Whistler

As part of EMI's "Lost Hits" series, this volume focuses on the decade of the 50s. Listening to these tunes, no one would ever know that the likes of Elvis or other rock stars of the later 50s ever existed as the music here is pure mainstream 50's pop. That being acknowledged, this does offer a generous collection (20 tracks) of hit records from the 50's that are not often found on other CD reissues. Although limited to the EMI family of labels, there is a fairly extensive net cast here over the pop music of that decade.

Notable sides here include Tommy Leonetti of TV's "Your Hit Parade" with "Free", Sheriff Andy Taylor (ie., Andy Griffith's) comedy routine "Make Yourself Comfortable", Stan Freberg's last charting single "The Old Payola Roll Blues" and teenage sisters Patience and Prudence's saccharine "Gonna Get Along Without You Now". While there are a number of musically competent performances here, it does cause one to wonder about the criticism levied upon the emerging rock and roll of the era when considering some of the "acceptable" music that became hits.

While generous in musical content, this piece is a no-frills offering with no liner notes to complement the performances. Sound quality is good considering the vintage of these recordings with all tracks in mono. With its eclectic repertoire, it offers a pleasing trip through the often-not-found-elsewhere pop music of the 50s and is a worthwhile addition to any collection of music of the genre. ~Zub

Lost Hits Of The 50s

Tuesday, September 5, 2017

Kay Starr - Movin'!

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 29:49
Size: 68.3 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 1959/2011
Art: Front

[1:52] 1. On A Slow Boat To China
[3:09] 2. I Cover The Waterfront
[1:53] 3. Around The World
[2:38] 4. Sentimental Journey
[2:46] 5. Night Train
[2:09] 6. Riders In The Sky (A Cowboy Legend)
[3:39] 7. Goin' To Chicago Blues
[2:14] 8. Indiana (Back Home Again...)
[2:23] 9. Song Of The Wanderer
[2:16] 10. Swingin' Down The Lane
[2:21] 11. Lazy River
[2:24] 12. Movin'

Movin' marked Kay Starr's return to Capitol after a four-year spell with RCA. RCA had Starr cut "Rock & Roll Waltz" and the Rockin' with Kay album, but Capitol sought to "reaffirm her status as a great jazz vocalist," as the Movin' liner notes say. The dozen songs are mostly jazz and pop standards arranged by Dave Cavanaugh with Van Alexander for a big band on most selections. A few others feature arrangements for five trombones and a rhythm section, reminiscent of the Four Freshmen's 1956 album Four Freshmen and 5 Trombones, another Capitol product. The album's emphasis on rhythm may have hinted at rock & roll, but Movin' delivers pure big band and traditional pop music with a swingin beat and Starr's soulful phrasing. Only the cowboy tale "Riders in the Sky" strays from the album's pure pop and jazz trajectory, although even that enjoyed wide currency in pop circles. Movin' yielded no hits, and one suspects that Capitol may have wooed Starr back by letting her record more of the music she liked. ~Greg Adams

Movin'

Saturday, January 7, 2017

Various - Capitol Sings Coast To Coast

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:46
Size: 118.5 MB
Styles: Easy Listening, Vocal
Year: 1994
Art: Front

[2:45] 1. Margaret Whiting - Moonlight In Vermont
[2:24] 2. Susan Barrett - Old Cape Cod
[2:48] 3. Dakota Staton - Broadway
[2:39] 4. Jo Stafford - Autumn In New York
[2:48] 5. Dean Martin - When It's Sleepy Time Down South
[3:03] 6. Judy Garland - Carolina In The Morning
[2:39] 7. The Four Knights - Georgia On My Mind
[3:02] 8. Peggy Lee - Basin Street Blues
[2:05] 9. Dinah Shore - Mississippi Mud
[2:36] 10. Ray Anthony & His Orchestra - Chattanooga Choo Choo
[2:13] 11. Kay Starr - Indiana (Back Home Again In Indiana)
[3:38] 12. Nat King Cole - (Get Your Kicks On) Route 66
[2:00] 13. Sandler & Young - Chicago
[2:17] 14. June Christy - You Came A Long Way From St. Louis
[2:13] 15. Gordon Macrae - When It's Springtime In The Rockies
[2:50] 16. Peggy Lee - I Lost My Sugar In Salt Lake City
[2:54] 17. Johnny Mercer - San Fernando Valley
[2:21] 18. Nancy Wilson - I Left My Heart In San Francisco
[2:15] 19. Ella Fitzgerald - Hawaiian War Chant (Ta-Hu-Wa-Hu-Wai)
[2:07] 20. The Pied Pipers - Avalon

In the 1950's, Capitol Records had some of the best talent in the music industry, including Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin, both of whom were at the apex of their respective forms. At least Dean is present in this collection of songs, all of which are tied to the theme of places within the United States (continental and otherwise). Even though Frank is not represented, some of my favorite voices of the era are here, including Jo Stafford, Margaret Whiting, Nat "King" Cole, Peggy Lee, Tony Bennett and the incomparable Johnny Mercer. Unfortunately, the songs don't always match up to the talent. There are some stand-outs, such as "Moonlight in Vermont," "Old Cape Cod," "Autumn in New York" and "Georgia on My Mind." ~Sarah Bellum

Capitol Sings Coast To Coast

Sunday, December 18, 2016

Various - Capitol Records From The Vaults: Vine Street Divas

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 75:06
Size: 172.0 MB
Styles: Easy Listening
Year: 2000
Art: Front

[2:53] 1. Jo Stafford - Long Ago (And Far Away)
[3:15] 2. Ella Mae Morse - Shoo-Shoo Baby
[2:49] 3. Benny Carter - Hurry, Hurry
[3:09] 4. Betty Hutton - It Had To Be You
[3:15] 5. Martha Tilton - I'll Walk Alone
[3:06] 6. Stan Kenton - And Her Tears Flowed Like Wine
[3:10] 7. Margaret Whiting - Moonlight In Vermont
[2:57] 8. Martha Tilton - I Should Care
[3:10] 9. Paul Weston And His Orchestra - It Might As Well Be Spring
[3:07] 10. Martha Tilton - A Stranger In Town
[2:42] 11. June Christy - It's Been A Long, Long Time
[3:02] 12. Betty Hutton - Doctor, Lawyer, Indian Chief
[3:19] 13. Peggy Lee - I Don't Know Enough About You
[2:57] 14. Jo Stafford - Day By Day
[2:50] 15. Peggy Lee - It's A Good Day
[2:24] 16. Nellie Lutcher - Hurry On Down
[3:11] 17. Benny Goodman - I Want To Be Loved (But Only By You)
[2:58] 18. Peggy Lee - Golden Earrings
[2:54] 19. Jo Stafford - Serenade Of The Bells
[3:04] 20. Margaret Whiting - But Beautiful
[3:12] 21. Peggy Lee - Everybody Loves Somebody
[3:05] 22. Kay Starr - You Were Only Fooling (While I Was Falling In Love)
[2:12] 23. Blue Lu Barker - A Little Bird Told Me
[3:05] 24. Helen O'Connell - Teardrops From My Eyes
[3:11] 25. Jo Stafford - Some Enchanted Evening

This volume of From the Vault highlights early Capitol Records hits by the ladies of the tower, so to speak. Individual talents such as Jo Stafford, Anita O'Day, and Peggy Lee began to emerge from many top orchestras and soon became Vine Street divas in their own right. The timing for this incipient wave of girl power couldn't have been better -- since WW II was preoccupying many of the country's top male vocalists. The extensive selection of musical genres on the label didn't hurt either. Among the most popular of these were show tunes. Jo Stafford led her fellow female artists scoring Top Ten hits with songs from both stage and screen. Vine Street Divas includes two Stafford classics -- "Long Ago (And Far Away)" from the film Cover Girl, as well as "Some Enchanted Evening" from the stage adaptation of South Pacific. Among the other soundtrack or cast recordings featured on this compilation are Ella Mae Morse's "Shoo-Shoo Baby" from the motion picture Three Cheers for the Boys," and Betty Hutton's classic "Doctor, Lawyer, Indian Chief" as featured in The Stork Club. This volume has cleverly gathered rare and hard to find early recordings by ladies who quickly gained international acclaim -- such as Anita O'Day ("And Her Tears Flowed Like Wine,") June Christy ("It's Been a Long, Long Time"), and Margaret Whiting -- who is featured with no less than three different orchestras on this collection. Vine Street Divas is accompanied by a ten-page liner notes booklet containing vintage memorabilia, photos, and other previously unpublished eye candy. Plus, to fill in the details is an essay by musician and music historian, Billy Vera. Initial pressings -- limited to 10,000 -- are cleverly packaged in a digipack designed to replicate the 78 rpm records and sleeves of the era. ~LindsayPlaner

Capitol Records From The Vaults: Vine Street Divas

Sunday, December 11, 2016

Various - Capitol Sings Around The World: Far Away Places

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:01
Size: 132.8 MB
Styles: Vocal pop
Year: 1994
Art: Front

[2:31] 1. Nat King Cole - Around The World
[3:18] 2. Lena Horne - I Love Paris
[3:08] 3. The Andrews Sisters - Tulip Time
[2:18] 4. Vic Damone - The Moon Of Manakoora
[2:16] 5. Dakota Staton - A Foggy Day
[3:16] 6. Dean Martin - Canadian Sunset
[3:24] 7. Bing Crosby - New Vienna Woods
[2:39] 8. The Dinning Sisters - Brazil
[2:30] 9. Bobby Darin - Sunday In New York
[1:54] 10. Kay Starr - On A Slow Boat To China
[2:11] 11. Nancy Wilson - The Boy From Ipanema
[3:07] 12. Peggy Lee - Bali Ha'i
[2:47] 13. The Four Freshmen - Frenesi
[2:54] 14. Dinah Shore - April In Paris
[3:12] 15. The Andrews Sisters - The Japanese Sandman
[4:45] 16. Nat King Cole - A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square
[2:49] 17. June Christy - A Night In Tunisia
[2:39] 18. Dean Martin - Arrivederci Roma
[3:13] 19. Margaret Whiting - Far Away Places
[3:01] 20. The King Sisters - Aloha Oe (Hawaiian Farewell Song)

Capitol Sings Around The World: Far Away Places

Tuesday, December 15, 2015

Kay Starr - Losers, Weepers

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 31:42
Size: 72.6 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 1960/2011
Art: Front

[2:49] 1. You Always Hurt The One You Love
[2:20] 2. I Should Care
[2:40] 3. I'm A Fool To Care
[2:26] 4. Don't Take Your Love From Me
[2:05] 5. When I Lost You
[2:43] 6. Only Forever
[3:16] 7. Gonna Get A Guy
[2:52] 8. Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone
[2:29] 9. I Miss You So
[2:49] 10. A Faded Summer Love
[3:15] 11. When A Woman Loves A Man
[1:52] 12. Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall

Kay Starr has always considered herself a “saloon singer” who told a story with each song, and is critically recognized for the power and emotion of her singing style. Long respected by the jazz community, and considered a favorite and influence by many of yesterday and today’s greats, Kay is truly a gifted and unique performer who has made a success of every musical genre she has tackled. Whether jazz, pop, country or R&B, Kay has done it all and marvelously. With recent compact disc re-issues of her classic albums and singles Kay’s work has seen a resurgence and begun to delight new audiences who are just discovering, or rediscovering, her great talents and style. As for the woman herself, Kay continues to dazzle audiences and critics in her concert appearances, and we look forward to having her do so for many more years to come. ~Matthew C. Foley

Losers, Weepers

Sunday, December 6, 2015

Kay Starr - Capitol Collectors Series

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:39
Size: 150.3 MB
Styles: Standards, Traditional pop
Year: 1991/2003
Art: Front

[2:44] 1. I'm The Lonesomest Gal In Town
[2:45] 2. You've Got To See Mamma Ev'ry Night (Or You Can't See Mamma At All)
[3:05] 3. You Were Only Fooling (While I Was Falling In Love)
[2:47] 4. So Tired
[2:06] 5. Hoop-Dee-Doo
[2:25] 6. Bonaparte's Retreat
[2:24] 7. Mississippi
[2:34] 8. I'll Never Be Free
[3:03] 9. Wheel Of Fortune
[3:00] 10. I Waited A Little Too Long
[2:17] 11. Kay's Lament
[2:11] 12. Fool, Fool, Fool
[2:21] 13. Comes A-Long-A-Love
[2:50] 14. Side By Side
[2:52] 15. Half A Photograph
[2:35] 16. Allez-Vous En
[2:16] 17. When My Dreamboat Comes Home
[2:49] 18. Changing Partners
[2:37] 19. The Man Upstairs
[2:45] 20. If You Love Me (Really Love Me)
[2:25] 21. Toy Or Treasure
[2:20] 22. Lazy River
[2:19] 23. Foolin' Around
[3:12] 24. Crazy
[2:44] 25. Rock & Roll Waltz

Mix country, jazz and blues together with one potent personality and you've got Kay Starr! And that combo paid hit-making dividends, as this 25-track CD attests! Everything from Wheel of Fortune to Bonaparte's Retreat to her duet with Tennessee Ernie Ford, I'll Never Be Free .

Capitol Collectors Series  

Saturday, November 1, 2014

Kay Starr - Jazz Singer

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 31:42
Styles: Vocal
Year: 1960/2011
Art: Front

[2:42] 1. I Never Knew (I Could Love Anybody Like I'm Loving You)
[2:38] 2. My Man
[1:52] 3. Breezin' Along With The Breeze
[2:57] 4. All By Myself
[2:28] 5. Hard Hearted Hannah (The Vamp Of Savannah)
[1:56] 6. Me-Too (Ho-Ho! Ha-Ha!)
[2:47] 7. Happy Days And Lonely Nights
[3:10] 8. Not A Sweetheart
[2:54] 9. Hummin' To Myself
[2:41] 10. My Honey's Lovin' Arms
[2:45] 11. Sunday
[2:47] 12. I Would Do Anything For You

For this 1960 session, Kay Starr joined the Van Alexander & His Orchestra -- with whom she had worked on earlier recordings -- to produce an album of so-called "jazz singer songs." With her deep, husky saloon singer-type voice, Starr swings a set of 12 songs all arranged by Alexander in a variety of tempos. Helped along on such tracks as "I Never Knew" by a wailing, soulful electric organ and a singing ensemble, Starr applies her one-of-a-kind technique to these hardy standards. She brings to most of the tunes that "hillbilly"/blues inflection she developed very early in her career when she was singing on radio stations first in Dallas and then in Memphis. Her blues biases are prominent on such cuts as "My Man" and "All by Myself." Starr reminds the listener that she could swing with the best of them with up-beat romps of "Breezin' Along With the Breeze" and "Happy Days and Lonely Nights." Because of her pop hits, Starr has been underrated as a jazz singer. But with an album such as this, that underestimation is clearly undeserved and wrong, and this album helps document her place as a top-flight jazz vocalist. ~Dave Nathan

Jazz Singer

Saturday, September 14, 2013

Various - The Great Big Band Singers

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 70:15
Size: 160.8 MB
Styles: Pop. Nostalgia, Vocal, Easy Listening
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[2:48] 1. Doris Day - Sentimntal Journey
[3:38] 2. Helen O'Connell - Just For A Thrill
[2:57] 3. Helen Ward - It's Been So Long
[3:21] 4. Helen Forrest - Between A Kiss And A Sigh
[3:10] 5. Bob Eberly - Fools Rush In
[1:54] 6. Eddy Howard - You Must Have Been A Beautiful Baby
[2:23] 7. Nancy Norman - Candy
[3:31] 8. Lisa Morrow - Who's Sorry Now
[3:04] 9. Frank Sinatra - All Or Nothing At All
[2:36] 10. Nancy Norman - Saturday Night (Is The Loneliest Night Of The Week)
[3:01] 11. Helen Forrest - I've Heard That Song Before
[3:49] 12. June Christy - On The Sunny Side Of The Street
[2:46] 13. Dick Haymes - When You Wish Upon A Star
[3:02] 14. Eddy Howard - I've Got A Pocketful Of Dreams
[1:44] 15. Doris Day - Kiss To Remember
[2:46] 16. Bob Allen - Sweet And Lovely
[1:55] 17. Kay Starr - I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm
[2:32] 18. Frank Sinatra - My Love For You
[2:42] 19. June Christy - No Baby, Nobody But You
[2:32] 20. Dick Haymes - When The Swallows Come Back To Capistrano
[2:29] 21. Anita O'Day - Tabby The Cat
[3:39] 22. Bob Eberly - The Nearness Of You
[2:10] 23. Bonnie Lou Williams - What Is This Thing Called Love
[2:51] 24. Billy Williams - It's Only A Paper Moon
[2:42] 25. Helen O'Connell - I'm Stepping Out With A Memory Tonight

This look back at the greatest "crooners" and "canaries" of the 1940s features the top vocalists of the period, when they began their careers performing with orchestras and dance bands. The most popular singers ultimately became stars on their own.

The Great Big Band Singers