Josephine Baker - Elysee

The earliest recordings in one place

This eponymously titled two-disc CD comprises Josephine Baker's earliest recordings from 1926 to 1939 in France for the Elysee label. While this compilation isn't a comprehensive collection of all her work during that era it includes her most popular and memorable recordings transferred from the original 78 rpm test pressings and metal plates that have survived. The unfortunate consequence is that there is often considerable noise, especially on the earliest recordings, and the overall sound quality isn't that fantastic. Yet in spite of those limitations Baker's star power shows through perfectly encapsulating all the heady excitement of the Jazz Age of the 1920s. The sound quality of the recordings improves steadily, probably more a reflection of the improvements in recording technology of that era rather than today's. Disc One comprises songs that will be immediately recognizable to many Americans and includes many signature songs for Ms. Baker, most recorded in 1926 and 1927, her early Paris era where she was skyrocketing to success and renown. Disc Two shows Ms. Baker acculturating to French society and comprises primarily of songs in French and more familiar to a Francophile audience, spanning her peak period from 1928 to 1939, including tracks from her films of that era. A booklet is included that provides a nice summary of Ms. Baker's career and some wonderful photographs, but little information on her recording sessions survived to be included here. These recordings help to bring a little bit of who Ms. Baker was back to the present for us to enjoy. It's a pity more couldn't be done to enhance the sound quality but such are these early recordings. June 8, 2006

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