REISSUES : Taking a shine to musical gold
Posted on Thursday, March 13, 2008
How many times have I rolled my eyes when someone older spoke some variation of how much better the music and singers were when they were my age ?
As a teenager and young adult, certainly, probably more times than I can count.
But conversations at a couple of recent social gatherings have put a new spin on that old saw. Several men and women in their 20 s and 30 s were singing the praises of Billie Holiday, Dinah Washington and Frank Sinatra, among others, as they decried the highly processed nature of many current recordings, which often masks limited vocal talent. They acknowledged some talented contemporary artists — Norah Jones, Corinne Bailey Rae, Justin Timberlake, Michael Buble, Christina Aguilera and Amy Winehouse — with varying degrees of support and disdain.
So, for those who explore the past for great songs and singers, here are reissues to consider Nat “King” Cole, The Very Thought of You, Collectors Choice, $ 15. 99 Nat “King” Cole, This Is Nat “King” Cole, Collectors Choice, $ 15. 99 Though he first gained renown as a jazz pianist, Nat “King” Cole found his greatest fame, and commercial success, as a singer. The way he delivered a love song — direct, honest, imbued with feeling — made Cole’s voice one of the era’s most appealing.
Nowhere was that voice put on a better showcase than on 1958 ’s The Very Thought of You, which presented Cole sans piano, sans jazz. Backed by the orchestra and arrangements of the great Gordon Jenkins, Cole brought his considerable gifts to this lush setting and elevated this ballad session. Recorded in 1958, the 16 songs on the album included the luscious “The Very Thought of You,” the lovely “Don’t Blame Me” and the stunning “For All We Know.” Two bonus songs recorded in 1962 — “Farewell to Arms” and the downbeat “Happy New Year” — don’t fit as comfortably with the rest of this unabashedly romantic album.
The 1957 release This Is Nat “King” Cole was a compilation of songs that had not been issued on an album. This mostly ballad set included “Too Young to Go Steady” (also a hit for Patti Page and Connie Stevens ), “To the Ends of the Earth,” “ Never Let Me Go ” and “Forgive My Heart.” Nelson Riddle arranged and conducted these tunes and cowrote “Annabelle.” This is a warm album, but most of the songs are pretty dated, with the exception of “That’s All.” Cole fans, though, will be happy with three tunes making their first CD release, “Small Towns Are Smile Towns,” “ My Flaming Heart” and “United.” Probably better for completists.
The restoration of the Cole catalog has been most welcome, and long overdue.
GOLD MINE Verve Records has a series of compilations under the title Gold; all are two-CD sets, showcasing some of American music’s finest. List price is $ 19. 98 each. Sarah Vaughan, Gold. A most welcome addition, this compilation may be the only career-spanning collection on Vaughan. Nicknamed “Sassy,” Vaughan’s set starts in the late ’ 40 s. It ends with a stunning “Send in the Clowns,” a 1981 track recorded with the Count Basie Orchestra that brings an emotional depth rare in that song’s performance history. Her voice is particularly effective on torch songs (“ Black Coffee, ” “My Funny Valentine,” “ Lover Man” ), although she can swing with ease, as “Lullaby of Birdland” shows. Much of this set is from the ’ 50 s, which serves this singer well. Her exquisite, love-drenched take on “Misty” may be the best recording ever of that ballad. Her Top 10 hit “Broken-Hearted Melody” is here (the set is missing her other Top 10 hits, “Make Yourself Comfortable” and “Whatever Lola Wants” ). “Smooth Operator” oozes a teasing sexiness. But Vaughan’s smooth, expressive and full voice is amazing.
Dinah Washington, Gold. It is hard to imagine a better compilation of this singer’s artistry than this. It follows the singer’s 20-year career, beginning with her first session on “Evil Gal Blues,” through her soul, jazz and pop tunes. Washington’s versatile and expressive voice handled a diversity of material with emotional and musical conviction. High points include her passionate take on Bessie Smith’s “Backwater Blues” (from the Newport Jazz Festival in 1958 ), the stunning and jazzy “Lover Come Back to Me,” the lovely ballad “What a Difference a Day Makes,” the yearning yet demanding approach to “I Wanna Be Loved” and a wonderful up-tempo “September in the Rain.” Nina Simone, Gold. These 35 songs (some live ) come from the gifted and often controversial singer-songwriter’s work between 1964 and 1969. It was a pretty free-wheeling time for Simone, who recorded an array of cover tunes such as the Bee Gees’ “To Love Somebody,” Jimmy Webb’s “Do What You Gotta Do” and the traditional blues “Sinnerman” (her repetition of “power” recalls Sister Gertrude Morgan ), along with her often political and social protest-charged originals such as her blunt assessment of Mississippi and her stunning “To Be Young, Gifted and Black” (later covered by Aretha Franklin ). But leavening heavier moments are tunes such as the charming live version of “My Baby Just Cares for Me” and the lushly romantic “I Loves You, Porgy.” High points are her hair-raising and unsettling version of Screamin’ Jay Hawkins’ “I Put a Spell on You” and her wrenching, deeply moving vocal on “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood.” Ella Fitzgerald, Gold. I can’t imagine a harder task than narrowing the staggering number of Ella Fitzgerald’s recordings into 40 songs for two CDs. But Gold mines that treasure very well as it presents the songs in chronological order. The well-chosen tunes give a good historical and musical view of this vital and important singer. Famed for impeccable musicality and vocal improvisation, Fitzgerald’s set includes work with the Ink Spots, Louis Jordan’s Tympany Five, Gordon Jenkins and a wonderful duet with Louis Armstrong, “Dream a Little Dream of Me.” It also taps the wonderful songbook collections, including Cole Porter, Rodgers and Hart, Duke Ellington and the Gershwins. E-mail ewidner@arkansasonline. com
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