Various Artists - Sweet and Lovely: Capitol's Great Ladies of Song, Vol. 1

TALENT ABOUNDS

Take a stroll down memory lane and steep yourself in the music that defined an era. The sounds are as fresh today as they were when they were new. A great addition to any and all collections. July 12, 2007

These songbirds could sell a song without even trying--and that's no small feat !!!

The twentieth century gave us numerous talented ladies of song who could entertain the masses to everyone's delight. This CD provides us with a great compilation of just some of the cream of the crop of the songbirds of the twentieth century.

The CD opens with Keely Smith performing "Sweet And Lovely;" Billy May's arrangement complements Keely's silky smooth voice to perfection! Judy Garland follows with an especially sensitive interpretation of "I Can't Give You Love;" Judy's voice is in excellent form and her perfect diction enhances her delivery of this number. Nelson Riddle's arrangement for "I Can't Give You Anything But Love" shines brightly, too.

Martha Tilton sings "All Of Me" with a sensual voice that is rich, warm and vibrant. Tilton delivers "All Of Me" without a superfluous note; and the peppy arrangement by Ernie Felice works well for this number. The incomparable Lena Horne also performs "All The Way" with passion and a type of sensitivity that stuns me with its beauty.

Other gems on this CD include Sarah Vaughan's rendition of "Honeysuckle Rose;" Sarah sings this with passion, soul and all her heart. The musical arrangement makes great use of the percussion, too. Peggy Lee gives the royal treatment to the classic standard "As Time Goes By;" Peggy sings this softly, sweetly and with panache. The arrangement by Quincy Jones boasts a great use of both the strings section and the percussion.

"Them There Eyes" is performed by a young Anita O'Day on this CD; her vocals play ever so slightly with the tempo as only she could do those vocal gymnastics! June Hutton's "Dream A Little Dream Of Me" sparkles and the background chorus harmonizes flawlessly. What a romantic song! Dinah Shore sings "My Funny Valentine" with panache, confidence and thoughtful contemplation. The piano solo for "My Funny Valentine" enhances the beauty of this number--in this case, less truly IS more.

The CD ends fittingly with June Christy singing "When You Wish Upon A Star." The Joe Castro Quartet performs very well on "When You Wish Upon A Star" and June Christy sings this very romantically. It just might get you wishing upon a star for many, many more CDs just like this one, too!

The liner notes include numerous black and white photos of many of the songbirds on this album; and you get the song credits, too. I wish there were an essay but this is a minor disappointment.

Overall, any fan of classic pop vocals is going to absolutely flip over this CD. The quality of the sound is excellent and these ladies of song never disappoint. I also recommend this CD for people who like easy listening vocals, too.

Enjoy!
June 16, 2007

Reminiscence

Even if you weren't raised in the '40's (as I was) this compilation will stir your heart strings. Wonderful lyrics, wonderful tunes, wonderful songsters...just as I remember hearing them played on our old 78's. March 2, 2002

The title says it all

Buy this CD and listen to these songs. Perfect for any mellow mood, their melodies hover in the air and create an atmosphere of peace and tranquility.

Composed of the stuff of emotion and life, these classic songs will have you wanting to sing along to the familiar tunes, yet you won't dare disrupt the perfect golden tones as they wash over you. September 22, 2001

Magic Moments

I am happy to recommend this lovely compilation of ballads and romantic standards. The producers have found some truly inspired performances to collect together on one CD. I've had it since 1995 and I have shared it with many good friends. Just put it on, pour a favorite drink and turn the lights down low. Enjoy. August 10, 2000

More reviews at Amazon.com ...