3 comments about Forbidden Broadway, Vols. 1-4.

1. I have this afternoon heard 'I Sleep with Everyone' on BBC Radio 2 in the UK, in the show presented by Elaine Paige.I was in my car at the time, and nearly caused a traffic incident.
   I have ordered the CD on the back of one track - have to confess I had never heard of 'Forbidden Broadway', but I have now! Friends and I used to write spoofs of musicals we were either directing or writing as schoolteachers, for performance by our students.
   I also do Community and Hospital broadcasting - I am sure that those customers will love a bit of spice in their lives!(Better listen first, though!)Expect another review when I have heard more ..
   ..Spoofs Spice up Everything!



2. How come it took me so long to find out about Forbidden Broadway? A friend loaned me one CD, and I'm hooked. Got online and bought the boxed set. There's not a bad one in the bunch. I particularly love the impersonations of Ethel Merman, Mary Martin, Julie Andrews, Bernadette Peters and Mandy Patinkin. Even parodies of shows I haven't seen had me guffawing. Listen to Jonathan -- buy it!



3. You may have seen the show, in one of its many incarnations, or may have bought one of the five unoriginal cast recordings, but there is no way any Forbidden Broadway fan or musicals fan can go without buying this four volume boxed set. This is not only because there are so many songs to collect, but also, it is the only way you are likely to get to hear the majority of the songs you saw on stage (if you did so). Forbidden Broadway lampoons the musicals of Broadway from 1990-1996, and is absolutely hilarious. There REALLY is no point in buying just one CD, as you are likely to find that something you want on one is not on another an so on. It also come with a complete libretto to boost. There are some very fine performances and mimics, especially from the likes of Christine Pedi. I've said it once, I'll say it again... buy buy buy!

5 comments about Verve Story 1944-1994.

1. For his tireless, effective, and classy promotion of first-rate musicians, Norma Granz must surely be one of the great cultural influences of our century, even if no one but jazz types know of him. More admirable (because courageous and selfless)is that he absolutely forbade racial segregation in his audiences and for his musicians. Granz was famous for making sure that ALL his musicians received first-class treatment, without distinction.

   And what first-class music his people made! From the "Jazz at the Philharmonic" series to his long tenure with Verve (which he founded), Granz brought together the very, very best jazz musicians, under the best conditions, and let them play what moved them.

   This collection is a fine, fine introduction to what Granz accomplished--and extraordinarily fun to hear.

   If you're looking for a great intro to jazz, you could do worse than to start here. (For pedagogical purposes, Ken Burns' five-CD set, "The Story of America's Music," is more comprehensive, and it has much to commend it. Listening to that set, though, requires an interest in being educated, as much as an interest in listening to jazz--some of the discs are jarringly uneven in tone, mood, style, and sound quality.)




2. What is jazz? Dixieland? Big-band? Kenny G? (Perish the thought!
   Forgive me for such heresy!)

   I write this review about halfway
   through the stunning Ken Burns "Jazz" chronicle on PBS
   (January 2001) - I felt compelled to get this set out for my
   late-night listening, and am glad I did!

   This 4-CD set contains
   almost 5 hours of great jazz performances by the giants - Louis
   Armstrong, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Stan Getz,
   Ella Fitzgerald, Oscar Peterson... well, you can read the
   list.

   Sound quality is awesome, especially considering that some of
   these recordings are over 50 years old. Verve obviously wanted this
   to be a quality product, to commemmorate their golden anniversary.
   And the performances - if you have NOT heard them before, you will be
   alternately slack-jawed with amazement and grinnin' like a possum
   eatin' a sweet potato!

   Jazz aficionados will probably already have
   most of this material - none of it is new or unissued, all of it is
   classic jazz. If you're like me - you've had some exposure to jazz
   and want to add some good stuff to your collection - you can't go
   wrong with this set. If you get picked to be on Survivor Island, you
   just might want to take it with you... I would!




3. the best compilation of jazz music ever! this is a must for all music lover and you'll know after you've listened



4. I scored this at a used "rock&roll shop for 20 bucks. Little did they no the value. This is totally awesome. The best part is the "assortedness" of it. I was leary of sound quality, but it is very good. The version of Dizzy's "Manteca" is almost worth the price. The only person missing is Kenton, but as we know, he wasn't a verve man. BUy it, its worth it.



5. I spotted this album in a friend's jazz collection. It has become a favorite of mine. Its perfect to give as a gift. Great listening, and a wonderful intro to Jazz.

1 comments about The Complete Decca Studio Master Takes 1935-1939.

1. It appears that with all these bargain boxes of Jazz cd's coming out the typical consumer sees price value and takes a chance..there are better sounding labels out there and my experience with Definitive Records,LoneHill Jazz,JSP and Proper Records have been positive and never felt beat by any of them.
   In the case of Definitive Records and this 4 cd set, exhausting the master takes of Satchmo's Decca sides for the time period of 1935-1939 (as well as the the additional 2 cd set covering the 1940-1949 Decca period issued as a separate release but same style of packaging), the sound and overall presentation is crystal.
   Informative liner and band notes are included.This label is really made for the Jazz aficionado and primarily the collector seeking hard to find quality releases...The label makes no bones and quite simply states that in it's honest approach .
   There are 6 cd's if you also include the 1940-1949 collection available as a 2 cd set...Wonderfully, also high resolution 24 bit.
   The music captures Armstrong at the tender age of 35-45 when he returned to the American studio after foreign travels and his great big band recordings of the early 1930's.History was still to be made.

1 comments about Prince of Cool.

1. This is a great album. Baker's voice and horn are each superb. "I've Got That Old Feeling", "There Will Never Be Another You", and "Let's Get Lost" are each worth the price of the album.
   
   If you like sweet, smooth jazz, this is a great example.

5 comments about Just for the Record....

1. What a grand collection this is of the legendary Barbra Streisand, full of unreleased verisons of Barbra's classics, landmark events in her career, unreleased studio and live tracks, original demo recordings, TV appearances, never-before-released show tunes, live nightclub performances, award nights and duets with Judy Garland, Ray Charles, Neil Diamond and more. This collection is approximately 4 hours long all together, it comes with a collector's book of rare photos and a song-by-song personal commentary by Barbra. "Just For The Record" covers every song that had a important impact in Barbra's career up to the point of releasing this boxset. The collection includes Barbra's first song that she recorded at 13 years old called "You'll Never Know". It also includes live songs from her first appearances on TV shows such as "The Ed Sullivan Show", "The Johnny Carson Show", "The Judy Garland Show" and many more. It also includes Barbra winning the best actress Oscar for "Funny Girl" and winning the Oscar for best song "Evergreen" which she wrote. It includes Barbra winning the 1965 Emmy for "My Name Is Barbra", Barbra singing "You Don't Bring Me Flowers" with Neil Diamond at the 1980 Grammy Awards. This collection also includes Barbra's famous songs most of them live versions like "A Sleepin' Bee", a live solo version of "Happy Days Are Here Again", a live "Cry Me A River" and many many more that Barbra is known for. Demos include "What Are Doing The Rest Of Your Life (duet with: Michel Legrand), "Evergreen", "Papa, Can You Hear Me?", "The Moon And I", "A Piece Of Sky" and even a score from "Nuts" that Barbra composed herself. This is a must, a absolutely for any Barbra fan.



2. If the Streisand fan in your circle doesn't already own this slice of heaven, what are you waiting for? With 4 discs covering 96 tracks, all the hits, non-hits, and even rehearsal demos are here, some of which have never been released. The elaborate booklet alone is like buttah. If you ever wondered why Babs was named the finest female pop vocalist of the 20th century, this audio biography of song should satisfy your curiosity.



3. Barbara Streisand is truly one of the Most Versatile Artists Ever. this Box set captures Her Career&showcases her Range in so many styles&different arrangements with different producers,Arrangers,etc.... but like all the truly great Artists Streisand has always had Her Musical stamp all over whatever she has released through Her Career.she was able to connect with her Music in so many areas&Yet maintain Her Idenity.



4. ... I came home and stayed up all night listening to every song, and loved them, and my respect and admiration for Barbra only increased all the way to the final note. This box set is absolutely magnficent! Not only does it have all the hit songs from 1961 to 1991 that we all know, it also has out-takes and never-released songs that are just as wonderful as any other she's ever sung. The 60s, the 70s, the 80s, it's all here and much, much more. No wonder Barbra Streisand is considered to be the greatest female singer of the 20th century-- no one else even comes close. Her vocal range, her variety of songs she has sung over her career-- over 40 years now! --she is simply amazing. And here it is the year 2003 and she is still as popular as ever and is on the verge of releasing what probably will be her most acclaimed work, "The Movie Album." Keep it up, Barbra! You will be the greatest female singer of the 21st century as well!



5. A four-disc collection of material that had mostly been previously unreleased, JUST FOR THE RECORD is a fascinating package indeed. Unlike most box-sets, this is not an extended "greatest hits" repackaging with a few rarities to pull in longtime fans. Sure, there are a few well-known recordings present ("People," Guilty"), but over 85% of the tracks on JUST FOR THE RECORD had never seen the light of day. This is exactly what many of Streisand's dedicated fans had been hoping for.

   The first two discs are dedicated to material recorded in the sixties, and they include many live recordings from the decade when Streisand gave the most public performances. Live performances culled from Streisand's appearances on "The Jack Paar Show," "P.M. East," The Garry Moore Show," The Tonight Show," "The Ed Sullivan Show," and "The Judy Garland Show" are all absolutely priceless. Eight tracks from Barbra's legendary "Bon Soir" performances (which were initially intended to be her first record) are included, and they present the then-twenty year old singer at her rowdy best. This is the Streisand that many of her sixties fans dearly miss.

   The two sixties discs also cover her years on Broadway (previously unreleased live performances from FUNNY GIRL), performances from her first four television specials (including three songs from the still- unreleased BELLE OF 14TH STREET soundtrack album), and a terrific live medley from her performances at the International Hotel in Las Vegas, which includes her only recorded performances of "When You Gotta Go" and "In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning."

   The remaining two discs (one devoted to the seventies, the other to the eighties) feature less live performances, but are just as enthralling. These two disc feature several great recordings that were released, but never appeared on a Streisand album. It's great to finally have Streisand's sizzling rendition "You're The Top" from WHAT'S UP, DOC? and "Cryin' Time," her wonderful duet with Ray Charles on disc. Even better are the recordings from unfinished projects, or the ones that were scrapped from finished albums and movies. Tracks from the aborted albums THE SINGER and BETWEEN YESTERDAY AND TOMORROW (also known as LIFECYCLE OF A WOMAN) finally surface, and I'm so glad they finally found a home here. The unused UP THE SANDBOX theme "If I Close My Eyes," The alternate theme song to THE WAY WE WERE (heard here in a live rendition from 1980), Barbra's rendition of Billie Holiday's "God Bless The Child" and the medley "A Quiet Thing/There Won't Be Trumpets" (both left off of 1974's BUTTERFLY), YENTL'S sensual "The Moon And I" (which was replaced in the film with the superior "No Matter What Happens"), and the absolutely phenomenal rendition of Tim Rice's "I Know Him So Well" (which just didn't fit onto THE BROADWAY ALBUM) all make their debuts here.

   Also included are the original demos of "Evergreen" (with Barbra playing the guitar) and "Papa, Can You Hear Me," as well as the instrumental theme from NUTS (the soundtrack of which is nearly impossible to find), and the Grammy-nominated "Warm All Over" (an intended preview of BACK TO BROADWAY that ended up not making the cut). In addition to the bountiful amount of unreleased material, Barbra provides detailed liner notes (which are worth the price of admission alone) and thousands of rare photographs. It all comes packaged in a lovely, cloth-covered box, with a beautiful rose motif carried throughout the entire set.

   Extremely rare for [a] box set, this four-disc collection hit a very impressive #38 on the Hot 100 and was certified Platinum in sales (and this before the RIAA had a separate criteria for multiple-disc packages). JUST FOR THE RECORD is proof that the material of Streisand's that has sat unreleased is every bit as interesting as what was officially issued. An essential purchase for any Streisand fan.

5 comments about The Columbia Years (1943-1952): The Complete Recordings.

1. There are a lot of Sinatra packages available from the Columbia years of 43-52...but how can you do without the complete recordings ? The Columbia years is when Frank was at his romantic best. Smooth voice , smooth tracks , not a clinker in the lot !



2. Sinatra hit his peak with Capitol Records from 1953-1960. Nothing done before for RCA and Columbia, nor after for Reprise ever came close. The recordings contained in this set don't begin to give a glimpse of what Sinatra was about to metamorphosize into in the 1950's until the last two records. These recordings are the work of a Big Band singer gone solo who had not quite cut the cord with his past or realized he had a lot to say and that, lo and behold, the public would listen. No art can be looked at in a vacuum or outside of it's historical context and within those parameters this was the best work Sinatra could do at the time, hobbled as he was in a transitional period between the big bands and solo standards singers.
   As historical artifacts these recordings are quite important. As art, I believe, with some exceptions, they are less so. Should you buy this set?
   If you are a fan of Sinatra then you owe it to yourself to own every recording ever made by him including some real (no pun intended) dogs like "Mama Will Bark" with swedish "actress" Dagmarr and a batch of Gospel recordings he made in his "down and out" period in the late 40's and early fifties. Buy this, in one form or another, because you need to understand the totality of a giant of an artist like Sinatra. But don't expect to love most of it.
   You want love? Buy anything you can lay your hands on, legit or bootleg, recorded by Sinatra between 1953 and 1960.



3. I'm 63 years old and have been listening to The Chairman Of The
   Board since I was six years old. This marvelous boxed set is
   absolutely incredible!! I should never have waited this long to
   purchase this set and I'm extremely fortunate to have found it
   at AMAZON.COM. If you truly love Frank Sinatra, get this box
   before it's too late. This is vintage early Sinatra that
   preceded his flagship years at Capitol and Reprise. What a joy
   to now own all of his commercially released studio recordings.
   This beautiful boxed set was my last "missing link!" BUY IT!!!



4. This is a marvelous compilation of Sinatra's early work. It gives the listener a chance to see how Sinatra's style of singing began and evolved during a very influential time in his career and in popular music. Unlike many boxed recording sets that are merely collections of already existing material, this set gives new generations of listeners a chance to hear a great deal of his work that has not been available for decades; many selections have not been heard since the 78rpm era. Listening to this music digitally remastered is a treat to the listener and allows you to spend hours enjoying music that has stood the test of time.



5. I can't say enough about how wonderful of a singer Frank Sinatra was. Alot of scholars will say that he "Became" a great singer, but I am one of the purests that believe if Dolly Sinatra could invite people into her womb, it would have been sold out in 10 seconds. Sinatra didn't become great. He WAS great, from the very beginning. And this 12 disk set is proof. His work with Columbia is some of the finest vocal pop that ever existed. Lost to the world (but not on us fans) are gems like. "It's a Long Way (From Your House To Mine)" and "Walking In The Sunshine". Sinatra's antics with the press often eclipsed his talent, but there was no finer singer, nor will there be, as pop music becomes more about looks and carnality than music. One can't help but mourn for the loss of decency in pop, especially when these wonderful tunes are playing in a dimly lit living room. This is a must have, not only for Sinatra fans, but for music fans in general. You CANNOT AFFORD to miss this music, and no one can afford to dismiss it. School is in session, and "The Voice" is the teacher. Save your dollars, nickels, or pennies, if you must, and get this set. Or if you must,start with the 4 disk "Best Of" set...which is good in its own way. Either way, Sinatra commands attention. He couldn't stand to be ignored then, and he simply cannot be ignored today.

2 comments about The Savoy Years and More.

1. Jimmy made me fall in love with jazz, he's a big one cause he lives what he's singin',he's true. that's what matters. i just can describe this guy: amazing
   just try to give a listen to his version of -nothing compares to you- or -jealous guy- from his album -holding back the years-....then tell me
   these are the recordings that made him what he is now, definetely a must have, in other words i just think that nothing compares to Jimmy



2. I am completely addicted to Jimmy Scott, once you play him 3 times, you are completely lost , in the third cd,Can we begin again is to much ,You change ,Please forgive me,The way we were, oh my God ,Close your eyes,And what are you doing the rest of your life ,you can die and go to heaven, then because you heard the greatest you know why you are here, This is a costly package of 3 cd, But if you never buy another thing in your life, you need to treat your self to this, It also make you feel so sad that we wererobbed of this man voice, I pray he live a quite bit longer,I heard his doucenmentary on startz about 2 in the morning, I jumped straight up and started taping , the very next morning i started looking for anything by him, and I tell everyone how it relax you to hear him his voice is so sweet. it just bless you and make you feel so good,This was recorded in his young days,he do Memories better than barbara Striesland. and Gladys Knight if it possible and it is.When I fall in love ,Its like he is standing on stage ,he takes his time with his phrasing and make yu wait for his next note, I got and email fom a fan in Japan, , he is loved all over the world, it like a BIGG SECRETTT you dont know anything about him, but once you know , you want to know who else knows,and you find out the people all over the world who has found this great secret want o talk about him,I LOVE JIMMY SCOTT tHEYHAVE WEB SITE THAT TELLYOU WHERE HE IS APpEARING IN THE USA BUY THISSS

5 comments about Jesus Christ Superstar: The 20th Anniversary London Cast Recording.

1. didn't realize that the movie soundtrack differed from the Live production version. This isn't bad, but I prefer the singers in the movie version.



2. I heard this version before I ever saw any of the actual shows. I have since seen the musical twice, both times not as good as this version, though there is something to say for seeing the singers in the flesh. In particular the casting of Judas seems to be quite difficult. It is an extremely challenging part, and in the two shows I have seen, Judas tends to scream and croak throughout the high parts. However this Judas is more than capable of hitting all the notes. The bottom line is every time you see this show it will be different, but I personally find this cast to give phenomenal performances on every song.



3. It really goes to show how performances can make or break a recording. If you're going to have someone carry a musical please make sure he can sing. This Jesus cannot sing. As a whole I actually prefer rock singers to musical theatre singers (especially for this particular show) and even as a rock singer his technique is crap. This is really just my opinion, others may think he's great. But his performance alone made this CD a turn off for me. The Judas is just kind of so-so and the orchestrations are pretty basic.



4. As you all already know, there's been many copies of this Rice and Webbers' muscial, but there hasn't been a cd that contains a more modern stlye of JSC like this one!!
   It has everything one wants in a JSC cd, singers that can really sing,musicians that can really play! When I first bought it,I was excited and happy because I finally bought a good and up to date JSC cd.
   If you want a more up to style JSC cd, BUY THIS ONE!!!!
   
   (Warning: the only thing that made me give this cd 4 stars other than 5 was the sometimes good vocals of Paul Nicholas. I felt that Webber should have recast Paul, he ruined a few good lines in the rock-opera)
   Other than that, BUY IT!!!
   Its like listening to a LIVE production of JSC performed right at your home!



5. WORST JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR CD EVER! THIS IS WORST THAN THE CONCEPT RECORDING! THERE IS NOTHING GOOD ABOUT THIS CD! NOTHING! JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR FANS, DON'T BE FOOLED BY THE REALLY COOL TITLE OF THIS CD! IT IS AWFUL! OK, IT HAS ALL THE SONGS, BUT, COME ON!

1 comments about Dearly Beloved.

1. Ella Fitzgerald is truly one of the greats. Her music is a joy to listen to.

5 comments about The Music of Johnny Mathis: A Personal Collection.

1. I,have listened to these 4 C.d.'s over and over again and I, had difficulty giving any of these C.D's less than 10 of 10.Finally I,had to rate them 10 and 10 plus. IF there was ever a desert island disc, this is it. Solo's, duets they are all there. By the way I,love "Feelings and I, am thrilled that he included it.
   .



2. If you enjoy Johhny Mathis you will I am sure find this collection of Johnny's personal selction a treat to your ears.
   I was a teenager in high school during the late 50's when Johnny made what I believe to be some of his very best songs.
   This collection is so masterfully reproduced that the quality is phenomenal. So much better on CD's than the LP vinyls that we had back then. And of course the stereo systems that we have now further enhance the listening experience. Unfortunately Johnny's voice is now no longer anywhere near what it was back then so I am so pleased that we have these great songs archived on this new media.
   I just can't get enough of this great and wonderful voice. I'm just worried that I might wear out my stereo from playing these albums over and over again.



3. Although the products I ordered in December were just fine, the DHL delivery via llama was unbelievably slow and subsequently not received at all in time for Christmas. Amazon did reship, taking their own time about it, but at least used another carrier. Compared to everything else I ordered online at the same time, all free shipping by the way, this was absolutely the worst!



4. Excellent! A LOT of good tracks. Well worth the price.



5. I had forgotten how great Johnny Mathis is until I recently watched his "50 Year concert celebration on PBS. I enjoyed it so much, especially one song, "99 Miles from LA" that I went on Amazon to find one of his cd's that had this song in it. Fortunately for me, I decided on this personal collection. It is hard to believe that I have four cd's in this collection that contain so many wonderful favorites of his that are absolutely fabulous and for such a small $ amount. Anybody that wants to revisit Johnny Mathis cannot go wrong with this collection. Bravo, Johnny.