Summertime

Editorial Reviews
Album Description
Their fourth full-length contains 13 tracks filled with The Fall-Outs' trademark dark cynicism, balanced with angelic harmonies and pop smart hooks.

Summertime, Music, The Fall-Outs, Alternative Pop/Rock, Bass (Electric), Drums, Garage Punk, Guitar, Indie Rock, Pop, Punk-Pop, Rock, Rock/Pop, United States of America, Vocals
Porgy & Bess
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Absolutely peerless
  • once-in-a-lifetime greatness
  • We love this album
  • Simply great
  • Porgy and Bess
 Porgy & Bess
Ella Fitzgerald , and Louis Armstrong
Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:
  1. Porgy and Bess
  2. Gershwin: Porgy & Bess [With Members of the Original Cast]
  3. Porgy & Bess: High Performance
  4. Ella & Louis Again (Dig)
  5. George Gershwin - Porgy & Bess / Trevor Nunn · Sir Simon Rattle · W. White · C. Haymon · Glyndebourne Opera

ASIN: B0000046Z5
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

  1. Overture
  2. Summertime
  3. I Wants To Stay Here
  4. My Man's Gone Now
  5. I Got Plenty O'Nuttin'
  6. Buzzard Song
  7. Bess, You Is My Woman Now
  8. It Ain't Necessarily So
  9. What You Want Wild Bess?
  10. A Woman Is A Sometime Thing
  11. Oh, Doctor Jesus
  12. Medley: Here Come De Honey Man/Crab Man/Oh, Deh's So Fresh And Fine (Strawberry Woman)
  13. There's A Boat Dat's Leavin' Soon For New York
  14. Bess, Oh Where's My Bess
  15. Oh Lawd, I'm On My Way

Amazon.com

Getting the two most personable voices in jazz to sing an hour's worth of George Gershwin's opera Porgy & Bess (Ella doing all the female parts, Satchmo all the male) was a good idea, but not quite as great as it sounded. Armstrong savors the down-and-dirty Charlestonisms that inspired the cadences of the music and lyrics, and they fit his happy rasp like an old shoe; Fitzgerald, conversely, sounds almost prissy every time she has to sing the word "ain't," though her melodic genius gets Gershwin's bold, supple tunes over. The arrangements are full-throttle Broadway, with a few leaps into Dixieland (including some fine Armstrong trumpet solos), but the disc works best when the vocalists break character and let their jazz side out. --Douglas Wolk

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Absolutely peerless.......2006-11-17

"Porgy and Bess" has just opened (with some controversy) in London's West End, though as a musical and not as an opera as it was originally conceived. Reviews have been promising and I aim to go down and see it soon. I decided to listen to this CD to put myself in the mood. I hadn't listened to it for years and I'd completely forgotten how good it actually is. Ella's voice blends with Louis' perfectly and Russell Garcia's orchestration gives them a dreamy landscape to perform against. I have one or two other CDs by Louis and Ella but this one is by far my favourite. The CD opens with "Overture" and its orchestral performance of classics like "Summertime", "I Wants To Stay Here", "I Got Plenty O' Nuttin'" and "It Ain't Neccessarily So" set the tone nicely, leaving one ever so keen for the vocal versions. Louis Armstong has a very rough tone to his voice but the emotion he packs with it is moving, most especially on the mournful "Bess, Oh Where's My Bess?" And we get all this and Louis' wonderful trumpet playing too?

Gershwin and Gershwin must be among the top composers of the last century and this opera showcases their talents more than anything I've heard. Ella and Louis are peerless as a vocal duo and though I doubt the West End performance will capture the magic in the same way they did, I still remain very keen to go see it. Is it opera or is it a jazz performance? I don't really know. I just know that I love it. And strongly recommend it.

5 out of 5 stars once-in-a-lifetime greatness.......2006-10-06

Two thousand five hundred musicians have recorded "Summertime" --- it's a classic. (I bet most Americans can name Janis Joplin and no other singer.) As for "Porgy and Bess," the folk opera from which "Summertime" springs, it's such a classic that it's hard to believe anyone ever had a harsh word to say about it.

But after its premiere in 1935, no less than Duke Ellington said, "It has grand music and a swell play, but the two didn't go together. It does not use the Negro musical idiom --- the times are here to debunk Gershwin's lampblack Negroisms."

A quarter of a century later, the producers of the film version had trouble assembling a cast. Harry Belafonte rejected their offer to play Porgy. Sidney Poitier took the part --- and wished he hadn't. Poitier later wrote that the movie insulted black people; when he chose clips of his best performances for his tribute at the American Film Institute, he picked nothing from "Porgy and Bess."

And in 1985, when Grace Bumbry was a sensation as Bess in a Metropolitan Opera production, she slammed the opera: "I thought it beneath me, I felt I had worked far too hard, that we had come far too far to have to retrogress to 1935."

All that may be. All I know is that I have, in a long life, rarely been confronted with more genius than in the Fitzgerald/Armstrong recording of "Porgy & Bess." Set aside the achievement of George and Ira Gershwin in transforming DuBose Heyward's novel into a folk opera. Let's just focus on Armstrong and Fitzgerald, who were at the peak of their popularity when this record was made in 1957.

"Summertime" --- the first song --- sets the tone. A baleful horn figure, then violins. And then Armstrong's trumpet: slow, steady, dignified. But wait --- here comes a slurred note. And a cool little improvisation. Just enough of each. Very tasty.

Fitzgerald sings a verse. She is cool and formal. A lady. Not to be taken lightly. Now it's Armstrong's turn. Tender, but let's not kid ourselves --- this is not singing as others define it. This is melodic speech: rough, gutteral. And thus he is ideally cast: His Porgy may have his charms, but he'll have to stretch to keep Bess.

And so it goes throughout the CD. Trumpet mastery --- Armstrong has dazzling control. His tone is bright, but never shrill; there's a warmth in his playing no one else could produce. And Fitzgerald is just a study in inevitability; to hear her is to wonder how anyone could sing these songs any other way.

"I Got Plenty O' Nuttin'." "Bess, You Is My Woman Now." "A Woman Is a Sometime Thing." "There's a Boat Dat's Leavin' Soon for New York." "Bess, Oh Where's My Bess?" "Oh Lawd, I'm on My Way."

All brilliantly conceived, orchestrated and recorded.

The greatest trumpet player in this history of jazz.

The father of scat singing.

The queen of the jazz vocal.

There are no-brainers, and then there is this Ella Fitzgerald-Louis Armstrong collaboration --- music that imprints on your soul.

5 out of 5 stars We love this album.......2006-08-22

We hope they will someday bring this beautiful story back to the stage

5 out of 5 stars Simply great.......2006-03-04

The fusion between the great two voices and the orchestra is just brilliant. Very good brass and violins that accompany Fitzeralds and Armstrongs magic voices leaves you with your mouth open.

A must have for everyone!

5 out of 5 stars Porgy and Bess.......2005-10-14

Could not find this anyway locally. It is a great recording
Summertime Dream
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • I liked every song on this album
  • Summertime dreamin
  • Gordo's falling apart here
  • "I Wish You Good Spaces"
  • Can't measure up to Sundown
 Summertime Dream
Gordon Lightfoot
Manufacturer: Warner Bros / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:
  1. Sundown
  2. Don Quixote
  3. If You Could Read My Mind
  4. Summer Side of Life
  5. Dream Street Rose

ASIN: B000002KCK
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

  1. Race Among The Ruins
  2. Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald
  3. I'm Not Supposed To Care
  4. I'd Do It Again
  5. Never Too Close
  6. Protocol
  7. The House You Live In
  8. Summertime Dream
  9. Spanish Moss
  10. Too Many Clues In This Room

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars I liked every song on this album.......2007-07-22

Like many albums in my collection, I originally had this title on cassette before recently purchasing the CD version. This is Lightfoot's twelfth album overall. Replete with drums and electric guitars, this album has a more pop oriented sound to it. It's a nice mix of upbeat songs like "Race Among The Ruins" and gentle ballads like "Protocol". The big hit off the album of course was "The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald"- peaking at #2. It's about an ore carrier that sank in Lake Superior during a storm on 11/10/75 taking a crew of 29 with it. The ship's bell was recovered in 1995. There isn't a track to really single out because I enjoyed the entire album from start to finish. It runs just under 38 minutes. If you liked any of his previous albums then this will be a great addition. It ranks right up there with "If You Could Read My Mind" and "Sundown".

4 out of 5 stars Summertime dreamin.......2007-06-17

Summertime Dream was the third Lightfoot album I picked up and was treated once again to something a little different. DON QUIXOTE was mostly folk, SUNDOWN was a nice blend of folk, country,and story telling while SUMMERTIME DREAM seemed to be aiming for the charts. Most of the songs on ths album have a catchy chorus and commercial appeal.
My favorites on this album are "Race among the Ruins" , "Im not supposed To Care", and of course "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald"; the "Stairway to Heaven"(if you will) of Gordon Lightfoot's career. Whether you want folk, country,gospel,blues, rock, or even a little Top ten action, Gordon Lightfoot is your go-to guy. Enjoy!

1 out of 5 stars Gordo's falling apart here.......2006-08-13

This is where the string of hits would end for Gordo as pretty much Disco would rule over the charts for the rest of the decade. This is a rather mournful way to end it as alot of these tunes are just so flat out depressing. They are also rahter forgettable except the title track, and his last big monster hit "The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald" which was actually based on the wreck of a boat the year before off the coast of Lake Michigan, and a noreaster came along, and blasted the ship to smithereens. To be honest if Gordo was out to make it sound depressing, and stark he accomplished his job well, but sorry Gordo!!!! If I want to hear about the Edmund Fitzgerald I'll stick with the show about it on either A&E, or was it History International, or was it Discovery? Help me out here, so I don't have to hear it from Gordo again.

5 out of 5 stars "I Wish You Good Spaces" .......2006-03-10

Released in '76, 'Summertime Dream' was Gordon Lightfoot's last of seven consecutive album/CD's to be release under the Reprise label (he did return to Reprise for one more in '93). And with its release, so ended the second phase of Gordon's legendary career.

Gordon's first five albums constituted phase one when he was the poet laurette and inspiration of his home nation of Canada, but virtually unknown south of the Canadian border. It wasn't until he left United Artists and signed with Reprise that he was finally discovered by the American audience. After six years and seven highly successful albums/CD's their partnership ended and so ended the most prolific phase of his career. There were more albums to come, but none of them ever reached the level of acclaim his previous work had.

In 'Summertime Dream' you are listening to the ultimate poet and musician at the top of his game. This is a decidedly melancholy -10 track- collection, quite possibly more so than any of this other work. Keep a box of kleenex close at hand.

4 out of 5 stars Can't measure up to Sundown.......2006-01-08

The strong material here is very strong. The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald is possibly one of the ten best narrative songs written in the last century. Other good cuts are the title track, I'm Not Supposed to Care, I'll Do It Again, and Race Among the Ruins. The other tracks may or may not appeal, depending on your taste. I found them musically rather ordinary. Maybe I sense a lack of energy in the vocals on half of Summertime Dream, especially compared to Sundown, which I thought was thoroughly riveting throughout.

As a whole, I didn't think it was as consistently good as Don Quixote or Sundown. Those albums have a higher replay value.
Broadway - The American Musical (PBS Series)
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Fabulous for any Broadway-lover
  • Top Shelf
  • TERRIFIC CD'S
  • Great Collection of Broadways greatest Songs
  • Great Compilation!
 Broadway - The American Musical (PBS Series)

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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  1. The Best of Broadway - The American Musical (PBS Series)
  2. Broadway: The American Musical
  3. Broadway: The American Musical
  4. Broadway - The American Musical (PBS Series)
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ASIN: B00064ADMK
Release Date: 2004-10-19

Tracks:

  1. Give My Regards To Broadway- Joel Grey
  2. Swanee- Al Jolson
  3. When The Moon Shines On The Moonshine- Bert Williams
  4. A Pretty Girl Is Like A Melody- John Steel
  5. My Man- Fanny Brice
  6. Fascinating Rhythm- Fred Astaire, Adele Astaire
  7. If You Knew Susie (Like I Know Susie)- 78rpm Version Eddie Cantor
  8. Someone To Watch Over Me- Gertrude Lawrence
  9. Bill- 78 rpm Version Helen Morgan
  10. Ol' Man River- Paul Robeson
  11. Ain't Misbehavin'- Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra
  12. Ten Cents A Dance- Ruth Etting
  13. Body And Soul- Libby Holman
  14. Brother, Can You Spare A Dime- Bing Crosby
  15. Night And Day- Fred Astaire
  16. Heat Wave- Ethel Waters
  17. Smoke Gets in Your Eyes- Tamara
  18. You're The Top- Ethel Merman
  19. Summertime- Anne Brown
  20. September Song- Walter Huston
  21. My Heart Belongs To Daddy- Mary Martin
  22. It Never Entered My Mind- Shirley Ross
  23. Bewitched, Bothered, Bewildered- Vivienne Segal
  24. Oh, How I Hate To Get Up In The Morning- Irving Berlin
  25. Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'- Alfred Drake

Tracks:

  1. New York, New York- Cris Alexander,Adolph Green,John Reardon
  2. If I Loved You- John Raitt,Jan Clayton
  3. Come Rain Or Come Shine- Ruby Hill,Harold Nicholas
  4. There's No Business Like Show Business- Ensemble
  5. How Are Things In Glocca Morra? From "Finian's Rainbow"- Ella Logan
  6. Once In Love With Amy- Ray Bolger
  7. Wunderbar- Alfred Drake,Patricia Morison
  8. Some Enchanted Evening- Ezio Pinza
  9. Lost In The Stars- Todd Duncan
  10. Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend- Carol Channing
  11. Luck Be A Lady- Robert Alda,Guys
  12. Getting To Know You- Gertrude Lawrence
  13. Who Cares?- Jack Carson,Betty Oakes
  14. Stranger In Paradise- from " Kismet" Doretta Morrow,Richard Kiley
  15. Ballad Of Mack The Knife- Gerald Price
  16. Hey There- from "The Pajama Game" John Raitt
  17. Whatever Lola Wants- Gwen Verdon
  18. I Could Have Danced All Night- Julie Andrews
  19. Standing On The Corner- from "The Most Happy Fella, 1956" Shorty Long,John Henson,Alan Gilbert
  20. The Party's Over- Judy Holliday
  21. Glitter And Be Gay- Barbara Cook
  22. Tonight- Larry Kert, Carol Lawrence

Tracks:

  1. Seventy-Six Trombones- Robert Preston
  2. I Enjoy Being A Girl- from "Flower Drum Song, 1958" Pat Suzuki
  3. Everything's Coming Up Roses- Ethel Merman
  4. My Favorite Things- from "The Sound Of Music" Mary Martin
  5. Put On A Happy Face- from "Bye Bye Birdie" Dick Van Dyke
  6. Try To Remember- Jerry Orbach
  7. Camelot- from "Camelot" Richard Burton
  8. Love Makes The World Go 'Round- Anna Maria Alberghetti
  9. I Believe In You- Robert Morse And Co.
  10. The Sweetest Sounds- Diahann Carroll,Richard Kiley
  11. Comedy Tonight- Zero Mostel
  12. What Kind Of Fool Am I?- Anthony Newley
  13. As Long As He Needs Me- Georgia Brown
  14. Hello, Dolly!- Carol Channing,Cast
  15. People- Barbra Streisand
  16. Anyone Can Whistle- from "Anyone Can Whistle" Lee Remick
  17. If I Were A Rich Man- Zero Mostel
  18. Night Song- Sammy Davis, Jr.
  19. The Impossible Dream- Richard Kiley
  20. If My Friends Could See Me Now- Gwen Verdon
  21. Open a New Window- from Mame Voice

Tracks:

  1. Willkommen- from "Cabaret" Joel Grey
  2. Let The Sunshine In- James Rado,Lynn Kellogg,Melba Moore,Cast
  3. I'll Never Fall In Love Again- Jill O'Hara,Jerry Orbach
  4. The Ladies Who Lunch- from "Company" Elaine Stritch
  5. Tea For Two- Roger Rathburn,Susan Watson
  6. I'm Still Here- Yvonne De Carlo
  7. I Don't Know How To Love Him- Yvonne Elliman
  8. We Go Together- Adrienne Barbeau,Barry Bostwick,Walter Bobbie,Cast
  9. Corner Of The Sky- John Rubinstein
  10. Send In The Clowns- Glynis Johns
  11. Ease On Down The Road- Stephanie Mills,Tiger Haynes,Ted Ross,Hinton
  12. One- from "A Chorus Line" Cast
  13. All That Jazz- Chita Rivera,Ensemble
  14. Tomorrow- Andrea Mcardle
  15. Don't Cry For Me Argentina- Patti Lupone
  16. Come Follow The Band
  17. Lullaby Of Broadway- Jerry Orbach
  18. And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going- Jennifer Holliday
  19. The Bells Of St. Sebastian- Raul Julia

Tracks:

  1. Memory- Betty Buckley
  2. I Am What I Am- George Hearn
  3. Move On- Bernadette Peters,Mandy Patinkin
  4. Do You Hear The People Sing?- Michael Maguire,Cast
  5. The Music Of The Night- Michael Crawford
  6. You're Nothing Without Me- James Naughton,Gregg Edelman
  7. The American Dream- Jonathan Pryce,Cast
  8. Doctor Jazz- Gregory Hines,Company
  9. With One Look- Glenn Close
  10. On Broadway- Adrian Bailey,Frederick B. Owens,Ken Ard,Victor Trent Cook
  11. Le Jazz Hot- Julie Andrews,Ensemble
  12. Seasons Of Love-
  13. Hakuna Matata- Max Casella,Tom Alan Robbins,Scott Irby-Ranniar,Jason Raize
  14. I Wanna Be A Producer- Matthew Broderick,Ensemble
  15. Dancing Queen- Louise Plowright,Jenny Galloway
  16. Good Morning Baltimore- Marissa Jaret Winokur
  17. Movin' Out- Michael Cavanaugh,Band
  18. I Go To Rio- Hugh Jackman,Company
  19. Defying Gravity- Kristin Chenoweth,Idina Menzel

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Fabulous for any Broadway-lover.......2007-01-30

Packs into 5 CD's a sampling of Broadway tunes from the 20's thru (almost) today, mostly from original cast recordings. Includes not just well-known hits, but also some lesser-known gems. Sound quality is first rate, booklet is informative too. Have given this as a gift to several friends with rave reviews.

5 out of 5 stars Top Shelf.......2007-01-04

This is THE definitive collection of Broadway hits. I have other collections, and none of them measure up. A great deal of care was obviously taken in compiling and presenting this box set. It covers a lot of ground, starting with some long-forgotten but still very enjoyable hits from the days of yore, and finishing with present-day favorites. To the best of my knowledge, the recordings are by those who made them famous. You won't be disappointed.

5 out of 5 stars TERRIFIC CD'S.......2006-03-23

THESE BROADWAY MUSICALS CD'S ARE A BROADWAY LOVERS DREAM. WITH EACH SONG, MEMORIES COME FLOODING BACK. BOTH THE FAMILIAR AND THE FORGOTTEN SONGS ARE A TRUE LISTENING PLEASURE. IF YOU LIKE BROADWAY, YOU'LL LOVE THIS SET.

5 out of 5 stars Great Collection of Broadways greatest Songs .......2005-06-14

This Collection was perfectly made it has almost all the most famous Broadway songs on this 5 cd set. The Music is great and has Broadways greatest treasures like "Memory""People""With One Look""Give my regards Too Broadway" just to name a few of this numerous cd set with over 100 songs. This is a great buy if you like musicals or The music of Broadway

5 out of 5 stars Great Compilation!.......2005-01-17

If you are a fan of the Broadway Musicals, this is a collection that you should purchase. Since I got the 5 disc set I've enjoyed listening to it. The majority of the songs are done by the original singers. The collection is priceless considering that you will have over 100 songs from popular musicals since the beginning of Broadway
Renee Fleming: By Request
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Not all the arias were her best
  • DIDN'T QUITE FULFIL MY REQUEST
  • Fair Enough
  • Fleming's High Points Well Covered in Compilation CD
  • Beautiful indeed!
 Renee Fleming: By Request
Vincenzo Bellini , Alfredo Catalani , Antonin Dvorak , George Gershwin , Erich Wolfgang Korngold , Jules Massenet , Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , Giacomo Puccini , Sergey Rachmaninov , Richard Rodgers , Richard Strauss , Giuseppe Verdi , Heitor Villa-Lobos , Georg Solti , James Levine , Jeffrey Tate , Patrick Summers , Sir Charles Mackerras , Lee Ritenour , Chamber Orchestra of Europe , and Renee Fleming
Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000C3ICO
Release Date: 2003-09-16

Tracks:

  1. O Mio Babbino Caro
  2. Ebben? ... Ne Andro Lontana
  3. Porgi, Amor
  4. Come Scoglio
  5. Casta Diva
  6. E Strano...Ah Fors E Lui...Sempre Libera
  7. Un Bel Di Vedremo
  8. Je Marche Sur Tous Les Chemins...Gavotte
  9. Mesicku Na Nebi Hlubokem (O Silver Moon)
  10. Vocalise
  11. Cacilie
  12. Marietta's Lied
  13. Summertime
  14. Bachianas Brasileiras No.5: Aria (Cantilena)
  15. You'll Never Walk Alone

Amazon.com

This is a compilation--plus three previously unreleased selections--of some of the glorious Renée Fleming's finest work, 15 selections covering 13 composers. The rose-in-full-bloom quality of the voice is staggeringly beautiful: Her rendition of Rusalka's "Song to the Moon" is justly famous and is, alone, worth the price of this CD. Other highlights are Marietta's Lied from Korngold's Die tote stadt, an odd arrangement of the aria from Villa-Lobos's Bachianas Brasilerias No. 5, Manon's Gavotte, and a knock-down-gorgeous reading of Gershwin's "Summertime." The three new recordings are of Violetta's big first-act scene from La traviata, which features one of the most perfect trills heard since Joan Sutherland, a thrilling Cäcilie (R. Strauss), and a version of "You'll Never Walk Alone" which is so over the-top that it might make you look away in embarrassment. On the basis of this CD, one would have to acknowledge that Fleming is more interested in--and more successful at--pure singing than she is at character delineation (Butterfly sounds oddly like Wally who sounds too much like Norma), but it's not hard to tell why she's a superstar. Her voice and technique are one in a million. --Robert Levine

Album Details

"by Request" is a Collection of Fleming's Greatest and Most Popular Recordings Including Works by Mozart, Bellini, Pucchini, Verdi and Dvorak. Featuring Recordings from Renee Fleming's Outstanding Decca Discography Together with Two Glorious Tracks Strauss "Cacilie" and Verdi's "la Traviata" a Role Fleming Performed to Critical Aclaim Earlier in 2003.

Customer Reviews:

3 out of 5 stars Not all the arias were her best.......2005-01-15

There is something lacking. Although most of these are indeed her "Best" releases, some things could have been left out. Her O Mio Babbino Caro and her Casta Diva weren't her best efforts at all. Casta Diva, sung to perfection by other revered artists, sounded too breathy and fearful here. It has good chest notes, and it is definitely better than Joan Sutherland's Norma though. Her O Mio Babbino Caro is the usual aria sung in its usual way, without leaving any trace of awe at an ability of a singer to interpret the aria. Rachmaninov's Vocalise was good, and it was great of Decca to release her Song to the Moon on this disc. However, some new additions weren't all that good as well. For example, if you listen to her excerpt from La Traviata, you will find that she sounds like she was singing jazz when uttering out "Gioir!". I think Decca should have issued the live performance version of this instead. That was so much better. Also, they should have showcased more of the bel canto repertoire she had specialized in. That would have made this CD a gem!

4 out of 5 stars DIDN'T QUITE FULFIL MY REQUEST.......2004-11-22

THIS CD DEFINITELY BRINGS OUT THE BEST IN HER REPERTOIRE. SHE IS SOLID, WARM, AND BRILLIANT ON MOST OF THE SONGS. SINCE I OWN MANY OF HER CDS MOST OF THE TRACKS I HAVE IN DUPLICATE. EVEN SO EACH VERSION HAS A DIFFERENT FEEL TO IT. HER "O MIO" IS GREAT BUT GENERALLY I FEEL THAT KIRI TE KAWANA IS A LITTLE CLEARER THAN RENEE. HER "Ebben?...Ne Andrò Lontana" IS ALWAYS BRILLIANT FROM HER HIGH ENDS TO THE NECESSARY LOW NOTES TO FINISH THIS GLORIOUS TRACK. HER COUNTESS HAS ALWAYS BEEN A STRONG AND POWERFUL CHARACTERIZATION AND HER BUTTERFLY TEETERS ON HAPPINESS AND PAIN. THESE RICH LYRIC ROLES DESERVE A SOPRANO LIKE RENEE. I WAS HOWEVER, VERY DISAPPOINTED THAT SHE ADDED "SEMPRE LIBERA" TO THIS CD AS SHE'S NEVER BEEN A COMPELLING VIOLETTA AND CAN'T EVEN MUSTER THE HIGH "C" WE ALL EXPECT NOW A DAYS. HER RUSALKA IS ALWAYS MESMERIZING AND HER SIMPLICITY ON GLUCK'S "Das Mir Verblieb" WAS AN INCREDIBLE SURPRISE. I FOUND THE OTHER SONGS BORING DUE TO THE FACT THAT I DON'T LIKE THEM AND I KIND OF WISHED SHE WOULD HAVE REPLACED THEM WITH SOME BETTER WORKS. I MISSED HER SOFT AND DEFEATED "AVE MARIA" FROM OTHELLO OR HER FULL BODIED SPOILED MUSETTA IN "QUANDO MEN VO" OR HER RICH SADNESS IN "DOVE SONO"

4 out of 5 stars Fair Enough .......2004-10-01

This is a compilation. I can't say love them I think thatpeople want to be surprised by new things, instead of um things they already own.On the other hand a die hard fan wouldn't mind having an extra cd by their favorite artist.Fair Enough.There was one aria that was new to me"Cantilena Brasileras"by Villa Lobos that was very striking.Her voice flows like an unimpeded stream with a lush vibrato.Like I read in one kid's review "Renee has a silky,creamy, instrument that is very beautiful and caresses the ear",couldn't have said it better myself. I agree. One smart kid!!! One thing that I have to comment on that will not escape is the dull cover picture. Renee get a better photographer;you're far more beautiful than that. I'm sounding like her mother,dear lord! She is a fox!

4 out of 5 stars Fleming's High Points Well Covered in Compilation CD.......2004-09-06

Just one listen to the high points of this disc will make you realize why Renée Fleming is an opera superstar. Covering a ten-year period, this compilation disc covers a most fertile period for Fleming, absolutely one of the world's leading lyric and dramatic sopranos. What is particularly impressive is how many different styles she has covered, ranging from Italian bel canto to French Romanticism to Rodgers & Hammerstein. She effortlessly sings in six different languages, including what sounds like flawless Czech on Dvorak's "Měsíčku na nebi hlubokén" (which goes back to her family roots). Her powerful voice is expressive, almost buttery, which allows the listener to enjoy the coloratura agility she has mastered over the years and the tonal qualities she specifically defines for each aria. This is most evident on my two personal favorites - "Ebben?...Ne scoglio" from Catalani's "La Wally" (which will sound familiar to fans of the French eighties noir film, "Diva") where her crystalline voice complements the increasing power of the melody, and the haunting "Mariettas Lied" from Korngold's "Die tote Stadt".

Fleming also has a good sense of the characters she is portraying, for instance, on the "La traviata" aria, "È stano...Ah, fors'è lui...Sempre libera", one gets a strong sense of Violetta's conflict between the attractions of true love versus the free life of a courtesan. She also gets some sturdy help from tenor Joseph Calleja as Alfredo in this piece. But even in this number, the effect of her daunting runs and trills can be a bit overwhelming. She does keep this in check with the slower-paced tracks like "Casta diva" from Bellini's "Norma", which uses a choir in the background to great effect, and Rachmaninov's lovely "Vocalise". The well-worn "Summertime" from Gershwin's "Porgy and Bess" is nicely covered here, and it certainly invites comparisons to even Leontyne Price's definitive version. Fleming ends the disc with a rousing version of Rodgers & Hammerstein's "You'll Never Walk Alone" from "Carousel" that grows a bit too bombastic for listening comfort. Regardless, this disc provides a nice sampling of what this truly great singer has done over the past decade. A treat for her fans and highly recommended for anyone who wants an ideal introduction to her range of talent.

5 out of 5 stars Beautiful indeed!.......2004-07-19

I'm very happy with this CD. She has a lovely voice! And what a fox! ;)
George Gershwin: Greatest Hits
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Muffled
  • Somewhat disappointing.
  • Gershwin At His Best in Hearts!
  • The best America has to offer!!
 George Gershwin: Greatest Hits

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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  5. Debussy's Greatest Hits

ASIN: B000002A1T
Release Date: 1994-08-09

Tracks:

  1. Strike Up The Band
  2. Rhapsody In Blue
  3. Prelude No. 1
  4. Piano Concerto In F
  5. An American In Paris
  6. Prelude No. 3
  7. Medley From Porgy And Bess
  8. Fascinating Rhythm
  9. Lullaby
  10. Promenade (Walking the Dog)
  11. Cuban Overture

Customer Reviews:

3 out of 5 stars Muffled.......2006-11-03

This is a decent enough recording, but it's not anywhere near the best that I have heard. The Andre Previn/LSO recording is much better mixed; at times it seems like there's a muffle on the mikes, or that you're hearing it from a distance.

If I wanted good, dynamic background music, I'd do this. If I wanted to really listen to the music, I'd pick another version.

3 out of 5 stars Somewhat disappointing........2003-09-10

I bought this for the full-length rendition of Rhapsody in Blue. I found the brass too tinny sounding, and the rhythm off in a few places. I like the snippet of this song on the "Best of the Milleneum" CD much better.

5 out of 5 stars Gershwin At His Best in Hearts!.......2003-03-19

To someone who came along as a teenage boy in the mid-1940's, this CD has the elements of authenticity, even surprise, musical history, highly intense performances, and ways evoking memories of emotional highlights of my Youth. When mediocre orchestra 1st tackled Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" at Smoky Mtn Music Camp we were preparing for Sunday's outdoor Concert. Pianos were played by two friends who've presided Music Dept at Carson-Newman College in East Tennessee. In the Trombone section was a skinny kid with too much hair and too big an ego! When our esteemed conductor began the opening bars the Clarinet Soloist, my close friend Danny Boy slide-up the chromatic scale with fleurish. He later became a NC Doctor! He likely plays clarinet for his own amazement in someone's Dixieland Band!

On this wondrous CD there are historic names like Bernstein, Kostelanez, John Williams and Michael Tilson Thomas, Conductors. Andre Previn, Yo-Yo Ma and Sarah Vaughan as Soloists. I would have a hard time choosing which may be called my favorite! It would depend on the day they are playing in my car... traveling to Columbia Seminary classes or GA Diagnostic Prison for lunch with Chaplain friends! I often sing along with the Rhapsody as I did in 1949 when Oscar Levant soloed with Chattanooga Orch. My very young wife was playing in the first violin section! Still today I am totally wiped out when anyone as intensely romantic as Sarah Vaughan sings "Summertime" or "I Loves You, Porgy!"

Is it not amazingly wondrous that someone could create so much enjoyable music in his short lifetime of 39 years? I never wish to part with this all-time favorite 10-Star Recording!
Retired Chaplain Fred W Hood

5 out of 5 stars The best America has to offer!!.......1999-03-09

This is the best collection of his songs i have ever heard. That's probably because it features conductors like John Williams and Micheal Tilson Thomas. My personal favorite is the allegro agitato from the Concerto in F. I have other recordings of this song, but none of them can even come close to matching the excitement of this one.
The King's Singers Original Debut Recording
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • King's Singers Debut
  • Thirty years old: still terrific
  • This is vintage King's Singers!
 The King's Singers Original Debut Recording

Manufacturer: Chandos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000000A9F
Release Date: 1994-05-10

Tracks:

  1. The Peanut Vendor
  2. Shenandoah
  3. Cherry Ripe
  4. Summertime
  5. Time Was
  6. Scarborough Fair
  7. None But The Lonely Heart
  8. Linstead Market
  9. The Oak And The Ash
  10. Wives And Lovers
  11. Blow Away The Morning Dew
  12. The Green Leaves Of Summer
  13. What Kind Of Things

Amazon.com

As the line in the opening track, "The Peanut Vendor", says: "Fifty million monkeys can't be wrong." And back in 1971, the purchasers of this debut LP (originally The King's Singers: By Appointment) found overwhelming proof in its vinyl grooves that a refreshingly new quality product was on the market. Soon the unlikely lads known as The King's Singers were all over television screens in the company of the likes of Val Doonican, Shirley Bassey, and Nana Mouskouri--also, of course, performing bucketloads of serious repertoire in concerts. For those who rushed to buy the original, this re-release is a real trip down memory lane, the excellent sound enhanced by the extra detail and color in the CD transfer (though, please note, there's less than 35 minutes of music). "Cherry Ripe," "Scarborough Fair," and Bacharach's "Wives and Lovers" are here, along with lots more, performed with that familiar mix of vocal perfection and effortless poise and complemented by the discreet contribution of the Gordon Langford Trio. --Andrew Green

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars King's Singers Debut.......2007-01-12

I am a real fan of the King's Singers, and this album was very well received. I loved it. Recommend it to anyone.

5 out of 5 stars Thirty years old: still terrific.......2003-02-02

We have loved this album for 30 years. We are so pleased it has been released on CD. It was originally part of a very small collection of gramophone records, and is now one of hundreds of CDs, but it is one we keep playing and playing.

The singing is flawless, the songs are wonderful and the arrangements are very clever. What more could you want?

It includes The Kings' Singers theme song, "What Kind of Things (do the Kings' Singers sing?)" which is a humorous description of the variety in their music and in their vocal ranges.

Other highlights are:
Summertime, which is quite close to the orignal sheet music, carefully arranged for 6 voices.

The folk song Scarborough Fair adheres quite closely to the Simon and Garfunkel arrangement, whereas The Oak and the Ash and Blow Away the Morning Dew are special creations for the group by Gordon Langford.

Time Was and The Green Leaves of Summer show the group's ability to create a wonderful mood through slow, soulful singing.

Highly recommended. Timeless music.

5 out of 5 stars This is vintage King's Singers!.......2001-06-09

In the thirty or more years that the King's Singers have been going, they've released dozens of CDs. And as much as I adore some of their recent recordings, I still regard this first album as some of their best work.

This performance is both of a very high quality and is also a magnificent showcase of the variety of things the King's Singers sing. I doubt you would find many other recordings which contain works by Tchaikovsky, Gershwin, Bacharach as well as traditional folksongs from the British Isles and America - especially not recordings that are of such a high standard. The vocal harmonies are just delicious, and the Gordon Langford Trio also provides a brilliant accompaniment and gives songs like The Peanut Vendor, Shenandoah and Summertime a delightful relaxed feeling. Then there is also the lighthearted and whimsical What Kind of Things - a song all about what sort of music the King's Singers sing!

I was going to give this CD four stars rather than five (mainly because I hesitate to give top marks to anything ever - I know, I'm picky), but in the end I honestly couldn't think of anything which would justify taking a star away. It's worth all five!
Summertime Blues
Average customer rating: Not rated
    		Summertime Blues
    Various Artists
    Manufacturer: Ruf (Idn)
    ProductGroup: Music
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    ASIN: B000QUUDZG
    Release Date: 2007-07-24

    Tracks:

    1. Wait and See - Canned Heat
    2. Creazy Little Thing - Popa Chubby, , Candye Kane
    3. Hustle Is On - Ana Popovic
    4. I Wanna Be with You - Luther Allison
    5. Your Love Is My Home [Single Version]
    6. Highway Song - John Mayall, Walter Trout
    7. Caught Up - Roxanne Potvin
    8. Wherever I Am - Aynsley Lister
    9. Do Your Personal Thing - Larry Garner
    10. Show Me - Sue Foley
    11. Livin', Lovin' an' Doin' - Eric Bibb
    12. Poison - Grayson Capps
    Dreaming
    Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    • Gorgeous!!
    • Check This One Out!!!
    • First Loves
    		 Dreaming

    Manufacturer: Sebastian
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

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    ASIN: B0002T2QQK
    Release Date: 2004-09-07

    Tracks:

    1. Adagio In Sol Minore
    2. Duet From Lakme
    3. The Swan
    4. Summertime
    5. Nocturne in E Flat Major
    6. The Flight Of The Bumblebee
    7. Libertango
    8. Prelude No. 4 in B Flat Minor
    9. Prelude No. 5 in B Minor
    10. Prayer 'From Jewish Life' No. 1
    11. Pavane
    12. Vocalise
    13. Song Without Words
    14. Air
    15. Ave Maria

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars Gorgeous!!.......2005-04-01

    This was a pleasure to listen to. The music chosen for the recording brings out the soulful cello sound played so wonderfully by Sara Sant'Ambrogio, and the piano part played so skillfully by Anyssa Neumann rounds it all out. It puts you in another dreamy world!

    5 out of 5 stars Check This One Out!!!.......2004-10-24

    "Dreaming" is the latest CD from Sara Sant' Ambrogio, featuring up and coming rising star Anyssa Neumann on the piano. Please start the tour soon and let me know when and where to come!!!


    Congratulations to everyone that played a play on this CD. The time and effort is well worth it shows. Continued good look in everything that each and every one of you chooses to do.

    5 out of 5 stars First Loves.......2004-09-25

    This newly released CD is a winner! As Grammy-winning cellist Sara Sant'Ambrogio writes, she selected those pieces that first made her fall in love with the voice of the cello, and she plays them with tenderness, passion, mastery, and wistfulness, stirring the listeners' imagination and taking us back to a simpler time. In addition to the old favorites, such as Albinoni's "Adagio" and Saint-Saens "The Swan," she bridges the centuries with Gershwin's Summertime and two contemporary compositions by Paul Cantelon, melding the textures into a cohesive yet varied tapestry of music. The piano accompaniment, played skillfully by the rising pianist Anyssa Neumann, gently sustains the rich strains of the cello, providing a perfect balance of voices. Listen to this recording with your eyes closed and let your memory and the exquisite artistry of these two young musicians take you back to your first loves.
    Michel Legrand by Michel Legrand
    Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    • Michel Legrand
    • Sunlight on his fingertips
    • all the stars you've got
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    • For Jazz piano purest... Only!
    		 Michel Legrand by Michel Legrand

    Manufacturer: Decca
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

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    5. Summer of 42

    ASIN: B00005YW0W
    Release Date: 2002-04-16

    Tracks:

    1. I Will Wait For You
    2. The Windmills Of Your Mind
    3. The Summer Knows
    4. How Do You Keep The Music Playing?
    5. Watch What Happens
    6. What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life?
    7. His Eyes, Her Eyes
    8. The Hands Of Time
    9. Ordinary Man
    10. Summer Me, Winter Me
    11. You Must Believe In Spring
    12. Once Upon A Summertime
    13. L'Amour Fantome
    14. Yentl Medley: Papa Can You Hear Me/The Way He Makes Me Feel/A Piece Of Sky

    Amazon.com

    If the American pop culture profile of French composer-jazz pianist Michel Legrand doesn't seem what it once was, don't be misled: his European indie film scores continue six decades on, now numbering nearly 200. But Legrand's most beloved work remains the lovely, evocative themes he created in the '60s and '70s, including "I Will Wait for You" from The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, The Thomas Crown Affair's "Windmills of Your Mind," the theme from Summer of '42, and his work on Barbra Streisand's Yentl. This collection marks Legrand's first solo piano recordings, presenting those and other film score highlights in spontaneously improvised performances that offer a glimpse of Legrand's musical soul. If, as in "Windmills," his enthusiasm gets the best of him and he occasionally lapses into flights of melodramatic pianistic self-parody, there are more than enough sublime moments here to compensate, especially on lesser-known songs like Best Friends' "How Do You Keep the Music Playing?," "What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?" from The Happy Ending, and Brian's Song's "Hands of Time." --Jerry McCulley

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars Michel Legrand.......2007-03-12


    This is a great CD! Sound is awesome. I highly recommend it.

    5 out of 5 stars Sunlight on his fingertips.......2005-08-10

    Sunlight on his fingertips

    The very bright talent of Michele Legrand you can feel especially when Maestro is playing piano himself.

    I heard some orchestra performance of Legrand before, that was good, but I was still thinking about him just like about pop music composer.

    Now I think different - he is Genius!

    5 out of 5 stars all the stars you've got.......2005-01-29

    Bill Evans once said that technique in jazz "is the ability to translate your ideas into sound through your instrument." If that's the case, Legrand possesses technique in spades.

    Before commenting on this rewarding disc, a few words about Legrand himself:

    Is there a better songwriter or a more versatile all-around musican alive today? I think you have to go back to people like Gershwin and Billy Strayhorn to find a rough parallel to Legrand's multifaceted, genre-crossing genius. A pupil of Nadia Boulanger (who studied with Faure and taught many important American composers, including Aaron Copland and Philip Glass), Legrand is an heir of the great French tradition of music--but one who has chosen to express himself through popular songs, film scores, and jazz. He possesses that rare combination of an absolutely rigorous theoretical knowledge of music and an intuitive, spontaneous instinct for both melody and improvisation. He combines exquisite refinement with a popular touch, a need to communicate directly with all who love music. To me, his work represents the most perfect expression of such typically French traits as lightness, insouciance, wit, melodic charm, and direct emotional expression since Poulenc.

    Here you'll find many of Legrand's signature songs--"I Will Wait for You," "The Windmills of Your Mind," "What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?," "The Hands of Time," "You Must Believe in Spring," etc.--reharmonized and enriched in stunningly beautiful solo recreations. Those unfamiliar with Legrand's pianistic abilities will probably be surprised by what they hear, for he's no part-time piano tickler. He can easily hold his own in the company of the best modern jazz pianists. He has a wonderfully refined touch that is incapable of making a harsh sound and a profusive sense of fantasy that keeps you constantly guessing as to where the music will go next. Yet you always feel satisfied when you find out, because Legrand possesses a composer's comprehension of harmony and form. And his own style is in no way compromised by an occasional nod here and there toward Bill Evans, Erroll Garner, Rachmaninoff, and so on. (Please: disregard the Amazon reviewer's remark about "flights of melodramatic pianistic self-parody." It's called a stride chorus, and it's just one example of Legrand's surprising way of recasting these songs--and of his encyclopedic command of jazz styles.)

    This disc represents the essence of Legrand. It really should have been recorded a long time ago, but the fact that it has captured his undiminished abilities as he enters his twilight years lends it an added poignance--a sense of "just in time!"--that makes it all the sweeter. If you're already a Legrand fan, it should be a self-recommending treasure, and if you're a fan of great piano playing or of sophisticated jazz treatments of great songs, odds are you'll find this a very rewarding disc indeed. For me, the highlight is this version of "What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?" in which every note seems inevitable--not at all an easy thing to make happen in an improvisation.

    Miles Davis once said of a Duke Ellington recording, "Give that one all the stars you've got." That's the way I feel about this disc, and I thought that phrase "all the stars you've got" was appropriate because it almost sounds like the title of a Legrand song.

    5 out of 5 stars Maestro Legrand , at last !.......2004-10-10

    Legrand has recorded at last one of his more intimate renditions to himself with his most remarkable themes along his brilliant career .
    From a summer of 42 , The windmills of your mind (The Thomas crown afair) , what are you doing the rest of your life or the romantic Umbrellas of Cherbourg ; all those unforgettable themes are played in this album for piano solo in the real intimacy between him and the listener .
    Legrand is the golden master of soundtracks in France and one of the top in the world . He owns that inner vision to catch the spirit of every movie he accompains . He composes music as he was a real director movie . The psychological concerns , the romantic efluvies and the precise and lyrical atmosphere , with that touch of class, artistic elegance and sublime eloquency .
    Think also in the important recordings with Miles Davis . That issue will give you the size of that artist and anothe point to remark . In 1954 , Legrand made a golden jewel : I lvoe Paris (See my review) that has become through the years in the most famous and the best album of instrumental music ever recorded .
    What other background do you need to acquire this gem ?

    4 out of 5 stars For Jazz piano purest... Only!.......2002-09-07

    I love the music of Michele Legrand! It is a rich mixture of
    graceful tones and notes, that create memories of a certain
    time and place in each of our own lives.
    When accompaned with great orchestration Its wonderful. When done in a jazz piano style, its not as good. Not to take anyting away from the talents of Mr Legrand as a pianist. Its just that like hearing a lusher, grander version of his music. So if you like jazz piano music, and Michele Legrand.
    Then this is the cd for you!
    Once Upon a Summertime
    Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    • Gentle Jazz
    • Deceptively Simple, Sweet and Swinging...
    • This Blossom will never fade
    • Jazz in a gentler time
    • Jazz in a gentler time
    		 Once Upon a Summertime
    Blossom Dearie
    Manufacturer: Polygram Records
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    GeneralGeneral | Jazz | Styles | Music
    Vocal Jazz GeneralVocal Jazz General | Vocal Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music
    Traditional Vocal PopTraditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music
    Similar Items:
    1. Blossom Dearie
    2. Give Him the Ooh-La-La
    3. May I Come In?
    4. My Gentleman Friend
    5. Bossom Dearie Verve Jazz Masters 51

    ASIN: B0000046OL
    Release Date: 1992-11-17

    Tracks:

    1. Tea For Two
    2. Surrey With The Fringe On Top
    3. Moonlight Saving Time
    4. It Amazes Me
    5. If I Were A Bell
    6. We're Together
    7. Teach Me Tonight
    8. Once Upon A Summertime
    9. Down With Love
    10. Manhattan
    11. Doop-Doo-De-Doop (A Doodlin' Song)
    12. Our Love Is Here To Stay

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars Gentle Jazz.......2005-05-14

    This collection of Blossom Dearie backed up by Ray Brown and company is simply delightful. It swings. No histrionics. No miserable Mitch Miller influence that derailed so many good female vocalists of the '50's. Just cool head bobbing good groovy music. Combining her "less is more" approach with Ray Brown, Ed Thigpen and Mundell Lowe shows that, once again, Norman Granz knew what he was doing. The rendition of Moonlight Saving Time is one of those tunes by Blossom that really frames the Blossom Touch. Of course, The Doodlin' Song will make a true jazz fan smile. Do not miss this music.

    5 out of 5 stars Deceptively Simple, Sweet and Swinging..........2004-08-30

    The comparisons to Dave Frishberg make good sense to me... and she's definitely one hip gal (Blossom Dearie was the lady answering King Pleasure in his famous recording of Moody's Mood for Love.) - - What's most amazing is that while lacking both the "operetics" of other aspiring Jazz vocalists and the improvisational venturousness of the bebop singers, she has something "else" which is hard to pinpoint... Cuteness ? Perhaps some, but then again she also has a way of phrasing, telling stories through the music and holding the listeners' attention... as a result, whereas the "cuteness" and "novelty" might wear off with other singers taking this approach, Blossom Dearie's style proves itself itself to have an eternally hip deepness that's easy to miss with just a quick listen and comparison.. in time one realizes beyond "cuteness" better words are "honesty" and "insight" to describe her playing... incidentally her piano playing ain't so bad either... (Check out her swinging solo on If I Were A Bell For Example....) the accompanyment of Eddie Thigpen and Ray Brown definitely doesn't hurt.... Ray Brown's bass solo over Eddie Thigpen's masterful brush drumming on Teach Me Tonight is worth the purchase of this CD 10 times over ! ! ! ...not to mention Mundell Lowe's presence and the ridiculously cute and silly Doop-Doo-De-Doop...

    5 out of 5 stars This Blossom will never fade.......2002-11-30

    Wonderful, witty and warm. Blossom Dearie is a national treasure and her late 50's - early 60's recordings for Verve make life worth living. There is no one like her in the world. Thank you for The Surrey With the Fringe On Top.

    5 out of 5 stars Jazz in a gentler time.......2001-02-21

    This is second only to 'Give Him the Ooh-la-la' in Blossom's Verve years. Blossom's voice is such a treat, and she really attacks a range of songs in this album. You've never heard Surrey with a Fringe on Top done like this. She adds a wonderful intro onto the beginning of 'Tea for Two'.

    The one gripe I have with this album is that the overall tempo is just a touch slow.

    5 out of 5 stars Jazz in a gentler time.......2001-02-15

    This is second only to 'Give Him the Ooh-la-la' in Blossom's Verve years. Blossom's voice is such a treat, and she really attacks a range of songs in this album. You've never heard Surrey with a Fringe on Top done like this. She adds a wonderful intro onto the beginning of 'Like Someone in Love'.

    The one gripe I have with this album is that the overall tempo is just a touch slow.

    Music:

    1. Sunday Grey
    2. Take 2
    3. The Night
    4. The Undertones
    5. The Violet Burning
    6. These Are Centre St. Tracks
    7. Thirteen [Import]
    8. This Is Hardcore [Import]
    9. Times Are Hard For Dreamers
    10. TNT (+ Bonus Tracks)

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