 This is a great CD with a splendid cast and fine arrangements of Jimmy McHugh songs from Wally Harper.
Lucky in the Rain is one of those musicals fashioned around a score of old classic songs. Six of the songs have Fields lyrics; Harold Adamson is responsible for the rest. The show is set in 1920s Paris. Consequently in the show On The Sunny Side of the Street is sung by Gertrude Stein (to Alice T, of course), Doin' The New Low Down is sung by Josephine Baker, and Love Me As Though There Were No Tomorrow is sung by Isadora Duncan!
In fact in this studio recording, the singers do not correspond to the parts in the stage show � they play more than one character and share characters. Furthermore, apart from the afore-mentioned Love Me As Though There Were No Tomorrow (lyric by Adamson), the Barbara Cook numbers all come from her Close As Pages In A Book CD, recorded years earlier.
No matter, the songs are wonderfully performed � particular nice to have is Lillias White's sizzling rendition of Doin' The New Low Down.
Fields tracks: Exactly Like You, On The Sunny Side Of The Street, Doin' The New Low-Down, I Must Have That Man, Don't Blame Me, I Can't Give You Anything But Love
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Jerome Kern Songbook: Ella Fitzgerald
A joyous listen from start to finish. It's too bad that Ella did not explore more of the Kern treasurehouse. The glorious purity of her tone across the register delivers the gorgeous Kern melodies to perfection in these Nelson Riddle arrangements.
Peter Mintun has been playing piano in cabaret and clubs for decades, but has only recently turned to singing. The liner notes to this CD state : Peter is the first to admit he's no Luciano Pavarotti his friend Bobby Short once said of him He sings like a songwriter!. Well it's true that his voice is very unsure on the notes and has no range to speak of, but his diction is good, and he just about gets away with it.
This is the first CD from new label PS classics from producer Tommy Krasker.
This is a highly enjoyable live recording of the celebrated singer in a cabaret performance at the Algonquin.
Another grand old girl from cabaret, this time with a CD devoted to the work of women songwriters. There are four Fields tracks, and all are fine except for I Dream Too Much, which (contrary to the principle professed in the liner notes) she swings with.
The recording from the 1980s show starring Mickey Rooney and Ann Miller. I have not heard this recording.
This is a 4 CD set covering the history of Barbra Streisand's career with much interesting novelty material. The warmth, energy and humour of the earlier recordings are sadly missing in the assured but mechanical performances of today's Barbra.