Connie Francis - Sings Jewish Favorites

Connie Francis in Yiddish

All well known songs, it is fun to listen and to sing along... the only problem is, that the timbre of her voice does not necessary suit the Yiddish pronunciation. Sometimes it is difficult to follow the (known) text. But it definitely makes fun to listen, the more, its quite unique. September 16, 2008

Yiddish, Hebrew, or English, she sounds good!

Although the writer of the liner notes may not be aware of the difference between Yiddish and Hebrew, Connie Francis sings in both languages as well as English on this album (originally a 1961 LP). And she does a good job in all three languages. She does "Tzena, Tzena" in the original Hebrew, "Oyf'n Pripichuk" (a song I remember my father singing when I was a child) in Yiddish, "Hava Nagila" not only in the original Hebrew but with English lyrics (originally popularized by Betty Madigan) as well, and "The Anniversary Song" (originally written in English) in Yiddish. Altogether the usual dozen or so tracks that you would expect from an LP (as this was originally). And all sound very good.

Five stars for an Italian-American singer that can sing in Yiddish and Hebrew too! April 16, 2008

fine collection of traditional ballads proving Connie's versatility and strength

Connie Francis Sings Jewish Favorites certainly is a grand CD that one might not have expected from an Italian young lady; but she handles these tunes better than many other Jewish artists I know! Connie sings with great sensitivity and her voice is as clear as a bell. Some of these numbers I would even consider to be the definitive renditions of these fine old ballads.

"Tzena Tzena" starts the track list with Connie singing this wonderfully. Connie's excellent diction bolsters her performance of this classic ballad. The percussion and the brass make the melody go along very smoothly and Connie sings this like the pro she still remains! "My Yiddishe Momme" follows; and Connie does an equally wonderful job on this number. Connie sings this with all her heart and soul; I can feel her thinking of her own mother as she sings this old time favorite. Connie handles the key and tempo changes very well; and the piano arrangement is very well done. I always liked "My Yiddishe Momme."

"I Love You Much Too Much" again features Connie's vocals squarely in the spotlight; and she never sings a superfluous note! "I Love You Much Too Much" certainly gets a fine treatment from Connie who sings this with all her heart and great sensitivity. The strings enhance the natural beauty of this number. I don't understand every word she sings; but I don't need to--the human experience of loving someone more than you should is very common.

"Mein Shtetle Belz" gets the royal treatment from Connie who sings this with passion, style and grace; Connie really makes this sound so good. There's also "O Mein Papa;" this features Connie's character singing fondly of her father and how they loved each other when she was a little girl. The strings work to great advantage on "O Mein Papa;" this also gets a tempo that is somewhat slower than usual but it holds its own very well.

"Havah Negilah" has great percussion and Connie bats this joyful song straight out of the ballpark! The brass enhances the number and Connie performs this in both Hebrew and English. Connie really takes "Havah Negilah" and makes it her own with her enthusiasm and zest coming at you powerfully. "Yossel, Yossel" is about a young man who's taking a bit too long to make up his mind about marriage; and Connie sings this flawlessly as usual!

"Mom-E-Le (Mother Dear)" ends the CD with Connie singing beyond perfection; she delivers this ballad with tenderness and a natural loving feeling that is truly unmistakable.

Connie was probably very proud when this album was released--and she should have been. She was able to take songs and ballads totally outside of her natural range of experience (she wasn't Jewish) and infuse them with a singularly beautiful glow that very many Jewish singers could never quite accomplish. I highly recommend this album for Connie Francis lovers and people in the Jewish community will appreciate this as well.
March 8, 2008

OY, SUCH A PLEASURE!

Way back when some time just before my Bar Mitzvah it seemed like everyone and their Bubbe was listening to this album. Because of Connie Francis I learned the words to the songs my grandmother would sing me to sleep by. (..and believe me she was NO Connie Francis). In the mid 60s anything out there with the faintest trace of "Yiddishkeit" was considered a novelty. So when this hit the stands it seemed like the whole world, which for me existed within the confines of Northwest Baltimore, was listening to this album. What was most surprising to everyone was the simple fact that the words were pronounced perfectly as though Miss Francis had grown up speaking the language. I remember being disappointed to learn that she was in fact not Jewish at all but (as my grandmother put it) a "Talenneh"! How wonderful that this recording was re-issued some time ago with one or two additions. And if you're just a Connie Francis fan, hey..you don't have to be Jewish!! October 9, 2007

YIDDISH DELIGHT

This album is amazing! and, I am so grateful that they've brought it back. If you enjoy Jewish music you will LOVE this album. It's amazing that such a wonderful Italian woman can sing these songs with such feeling! I would recommend this album to anyone who appreciates great music. July 14, 2007

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