Various Artists - Capitol Sings, Vol. 17: Jimmy McHugh - I Feel a Song Comin' On

romantic numbers to make you amorous

Capitol Sings, Vol. 17: Jimmy McHugh - I Feel a Song Comin' On is a wonderful single CD compilation of hits by Jimmy McHugh. McHugh was very prolific in his day and these marvelous songs prove it! The sound quality is excellent and that artwork is very thoughtfully done. Great! My only disappointment is that currently this CD is out of print; and I hope that will change soon.

"I Feel A Song Comin' On" is a song the famous Judy Garland always loved to sing--especially at the beginning of her concerts! This jazzy big band arrangement works wonders for this ballad and Judy never sounded better! "It's A Most Unusual Day" puts June Christy squarely front and center--and that's OK by me! June sings so well that her voice is as clear as a bell; and she never sings a superfluous note, either! I love it! There's also Anita O'Day singing "I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me." "I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me" sure does get a fine treatment from Anita O'Day who sings this passionately and very sweetly at once.

Julie London weighs in with a sublime rendition of "I'm In The Mood For Love;" Julie sings this with all her heart and soul. The slower than usual tempo increases the romantic effect of this classic love song and Julie London delivers this flawlessly. Chet Baker's "Let's Get Lost" is equally bright; "Let's Get Lost" is definitely a major highlight of this album. Nat King Cole croons "Warm And Willing" like the pro he always was--and this rendition is outstanding. Nat King Cole could always make anything beautiful, so when he had this Jimmy McHugh tune it's no wonder that Nat King Cole's interpretation is a shining star indeed!

Peggy Lee's "When My Sugar Walks Down The Street" stuns me with its natural beauty; the brass sounds great and Peggy Lee certainly gave this her all--what an excellent effect! Peggy's uncanny sense of timing and her excellent diction make her singing so much more than beautiful--I always love tunes sung by Peggy Lee. Andy Russell also croons a lovely rendition of "Don't Blame Me;" Andy's talent is very underrated and I hope that changes soon. Wow, how Andy Russell could sing out a tune!

Keely Smith delves into "On The Sunny Side Of The Street" to such a degree that this ballad sounds fresh and new when Keely sings it; her voice never sounded better and "On The Sunny Side Of The Street" charms me. The CD also ends strong with the great Sarah Vaughan singing "I Can't Give You Anything But Love." Sarah Vaughan provides us with a sublime interpretation of this ballad and that's grand.

Fans of Jimmy McHugh will want this, naturally. He doesn't get the recognition he deserves. People who appreciate classic pop vocals sung by many of the best will cherish this CD forever, too.
April 29, 2008

One small problem

The "Capitol Sings" series, as convenient as it is--especially for educators and musicians--suffers from one small problem: the complete absence of the skinny guy from Hoboken who became such a good singer he put Capitol on the map. At least his exclusion is less painful on the McHugh collection than on practically any of the other recordings in this series. Moreover, you'll find that as single-CD releases, the "Capitol Sings" anthologies are far more comprehensive and musically diverse than the Concord Songbook series. January 8, 2003

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