No comments about Aznavour 2000.

5 comments about Pussy Tourette in Hi-Fi.

1. Dance, blues, jazz all with an awareness of GLBT culture, it's good music.



2. I was first introduced to this band back in 2002 while living in LA, unsuccessfully trying to find work while living with a friend and his partner. He had the VHS video of both Bridgette and French Bitch.
   
   I was floored and viewed both videos (0n one tape mind you) at least a couple of times during the 6 months I was down there.
   
   I then did a search for it, found out it was out of print and have been searching for it ever since.
   
   Having listened to it, it's fabulous. Both French Bitch and Bridgette are what I remember and the rest of the CD is fabulous to boot. I especially liked I think He's Gay for it's sung operatic style, which gives the song a very humerous tone to it.
   
   Very cleverly done, was definately worth it to have gotten it.



3. She is fabulous! I bought this cd when I was 16, 10 years later, I still love it!



4. While this band has inspired many dance clubs in Europe and the United States, I give them 2 thumbs down. They have catchy tunes, however the rythym could be a bit faster. The lyrics are all about growing up being gay, getting picked on, the apect of being a homosexual, sticking up for homosexuals. ... Definitely would not want my children to listen to it or get ideas from it. If you like gothic, cross-dressing, homosexuals, this cd is for you, just have respect not to influence the young sibblings with the CD if you own it.



5. A great blues band seldom does opera well nor does a heavy metal band do Fifties rockabilly... Pussy does it ALL! With vocals that are as flexible and versatile...the backing musical stylings are simply incredible. Elegant piano, lowdown fuzzguitar, hot steel licks melt into Madame Butterfly and you BELIEVE! Every track, from "If I Can't Sell It"...to I Think He's Gay"...will have you gasping, giggling or roaring out loud and the music is to die for! Buy it...

No comments about Mes Amours.

No comments about Voice of the Sparrow.

No comments about Je M'Voyais Deja.

5 comments about The Fabulous Josephine Baker.

1. There is not another one who could touch her for sheer talent and heart! "La Baker" moves me deeply on this stereo recording. The orchestra is great! This is a treasure in my collection!



2. The manner in which the great Josephine Baker evolved as an artist is extraordinary, while as a vocalist, she aged like fine wine. Up until the late 1940s Baker's voice was light and twittering, and at times maybe even a little shrill - a fine example of the 'pop' female singing voice in vogue during the 1920s and 30s. By the early 1950s one finds that her voice had transformed into a marvelous mezzo instrument, and by the time she recorded the chanons avaialbe on this album her voice had evolved even more - it was the inctrument a true master, grand and opulent as the city of Paris. Her technique was perfect and her pitch impeccably controlled and rich, with quick and precise vibrato. It is really is astounding to think that the same woman who sang "J'ai Deux Amours", "Haiti", or "C'est lui" is the vocalist on this album.
   
   Unfortunately when most people outside of Europe think of La Baker, it is not of the 'Diva magnifique' she became after WWII, but rather of the little black girl from St. Louis dancing topless in a banana skirt, singing in broken french, and living in a castle (or, even worse, of Lynn Whitfield in that awful 1990 bio-pic "The Josephine Baker Story", which, by the way, didn't even use Baker's real vocals). Most recordings that are easily available on disc are primarily of Baker's recordings from circa 1926-1940, and are essential interpretations of the french chanson, inspite of the fact that Baker has an incredibly think accent and murders of the french language at every turn. In spite of all of this, a study of the vintage french chanson is impossible without Baker's early recordings.
   
   But Baker didn't sing that way forever. As her singing abilities grew, her voice deepened, and she mastered the french language. This era appropriately coincided with the next transformation in her career that occured after WWII - from the Folies Bergere dancer to 'La Diva magnifique'. Her interpretations became, musically, primarily of South American influence in the mid-20th century modern style, and her voice was better than ever. This recording, a very appropriately titled re-release of the 1963 RCA compilation LP "The Fabulous Josephine Baker", is available for all to marvel at La Baker during this era.
   
   The album's liner notes give no information about the history of the songs included, the recording sessions, or anything else of real use, with the commentary included in the liner notes being taken from the original release of 1963. For some reason the back cover states that the album includes Baker singing "...the Jazz Age's favorite songs", a rather inaccurate statement, as these many of these numbers were either written especially for Baker long after the so-called "Jazz Age" came to an end, or are her own interpretations of popular french chansonettes (it is significant to state that Baker was NEVER a jazz singer or musician; but rather the poster girl for the Harlem renaissance and the Jazz age. Her "occupation", if you will, is almost always incorrectly credited - although she was a much celebrated dancer in her early career, she spent the majority of her career as a singer).
   
   Six of the songs offered here are taken from Baker's 1959 show "Paris mes amours", which she took to the USA in the 1963 as "The Fabulous Josephine Baker". This was Baker's "comeback" revue after she "retired" in 1955. Her desperate financial situation forced her to return to the stage, and were it not for this fact the wonderful recordings of her later years might never have been made. From 1959-1960 Baker made several superb recordings with her husband Jo Bouillon's orchestra, most of which are included on this disc. Missing from this disc are "Terre seche", which was recently covered by the french pop singer LamieLa; the divine "Clopin-Clopant" (which has nothing to do with the popular version recorded by Streisand); and Baker's interpretations of Maurice Chevalier's "Fleur de Paris" and Charles Trenet's "Romance de Paris". "Clopin-Clopant", "Romance de Paris", "Fleur de Paris" and the instrumental numbers were not released on disc until 1993, when RCA put out the CD "My Greatest Songs: Josephine Baker" in the out-of-print "My Greatest Songs" CD series. The wonderful "Terre seche" has yet to be released on disc. Seven songs from "Paris mes amours" were originally sold in 2 volumes on 45 inch LP at the Olympia Theatre when the show opened in 1959, and were never sold again. In 1962 RCA released the LP "The Fabulous Josephine Baker" in order to commemorate Baker's American tour of the same name, and in 1963 they released a new version of the album as part of their 'Living-Stereo' series, this time including more chansons Baker recorded during the 1959-1960 recording sessions. Throughout the 1960s RCA released an incredible number of compilation albums that featured different combinations of songs taken from Baker's 1959-1960 recording sessions (8 by my last count). In 1995 the original Living-Stereo LP was issued onto the CD release reviewed here.
   
   The original LP release of "The Fabulous Josephine Baker" included a large yellow label that rightly announced that the album included " ... superb orchestral backing ... ". Indeed, on these recordings Baker is accompanied by some wonderfully orchestrated music (another reviewer on this page calls the arrangements corny, which is shamefully inaccurate). The orchestrations are primarily the work of Jo Boyer (uncredited in the liner notes), the french trumpet player and big band leader. In the more up-tempo numbers Baker's husband Jo Bouillon does the honors with regards to arrangements, and his early classical training certainly shows. In the ballads the manner of orchestration is reminiscent of Ray Ellis, and is lovely in every respect - one finds uses for distant operatic vocalizations, large choirs, lush strings, and colorful percussion. In the up-tempo numbers the scoring is in the typical mid 20th century South American style often heard in the halls of the 'Grand cabaret', where one heared an entertaining mixed-bag of many influences - big band, exotica, samba, classical, tropicalismo, and spanish. The conducting is more than appropriate for such music, recorded under the skilled direction of Bouillon, as well as Jean Claudric (for tracks 10 and 13).
   
   The album starts off with "Paris Mes Amours", the opening chanson from the show of the same name, which has Baker's voice at its most grandiose and powerful, with giddy accompniment very much in the style of the old music-hall. "Le Marchand de Bonheur" is a typical latin-influenced selection from the revues La Baker put on in the 1950s and 60s, complete with scantily clad back-up singers and dancers singing "La La La..." at the top of their lungs. "Moi 'io'" is a beautiful, easy number in a bal-musette style, and includes an instrumental break that can make anyone long for the city of Paris. "J'Attendrai" is wonderful - a march with back-up from bass clarinet and triangle (Baker often taught her audience how to do the 'twist' to the opening bars of this chanson). In "J'Attendrai" she sings in a rather deep contralto style that can amaze anyone who has ever heard her early recordings. Next is the wonderful "Avec", with its samba rhythm and maraca accompaniment, along with some rather complex arrangement for brass. Baker usually included this song as the first number after the overture in the shows of her later years and usually in a slow-tempo arrangement straight out of the Cuban Tropicana (the album "En La Habana" includes a far superior version of this song). "Donnez-Moi la Main" is a spanish-virtuoso number sung in french, in which La Baker takes on the role of a Gypsy telling someones fortune. Baker included this number in many of her shows wearing a wonderful gypsy costume. "Je Voudrais" is a delicate chanson with more intimate vocals from Baker, and "La Seine", set to a waltz with touches from accordian and a distant operetic vocalist, has Baker singing of the famous River in both french and english. "Sonny Boy" is taken from the old musical "The Singing Fool", and is 1 of only 2 tracks sung entirely in english. Baker's cover of Edith Piaf's chanson "Sous Les Toits de Paris" is another easy number with gorgeous vocals and arrangement, and "La Ballade des Rues de Paris" is yet another ode to Paris. "Mon P'tit Bonhomme" is a sparkling waltz in the Viennese style, with colorful accompaniment from glockenspeil, celeste and sweeping strings. "En Avril A Paris", which Baker also sung as "April in Paris", is a sweet sentimental hymn to the city of lights, sung in both french and english. "Sag Beim Abschied Leise Servus", sung in german, is another lovely ballad with a superb backing from a large choir. "Don't Touch My Tomatoes" is a charming number that is something of a cross between a 1950s pop hit and a song worthy of Carmen Miranda.
   
   "The Fabulous Josephine Baker'" is one of only two albums one can easily obtain on disc of La Baker in her later, best years. The other is "En La Habana", recorded in Havana, Cuba in 1966 when Baker was invited by Fidel Castro to perform at the Teatro Musical de la Habana. This recording includes Baker's "Dans Mon Village", as well as great renditions of "Quando Quando" and "Esto es Felicidad". Also included on "En La Habana" is a knock-out performance of "Avec", with Baker singing at her absolute best with the seductive Cuban orchestra. Another album with some essential recordings of Baker from circa 1950-1970 is "C'est vous", which includes many of the latin-styled selections Baker favoured in the 1950s. There are two essential live albums that have recently been re-released onto CD in Europe - "Josephine Baker in Tivoli", which was recorded during Baker's 1963 show at the Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen, Denmark. This recording was only available on an out-of-print LP for many years (a decent copy of the original LP can go for $100). Baker's last show, the spectacular "Josephine a Bobino 1975" has been re-released on disc 3 times, and is currently not in print, though one can obtain the original 2 LP release through online markets. Hopefully the 1973 recording "Josephine Baker Recorded Live at Carnegie Hall" gets a re-release as well (it was released onto CD in France in 1995, but it is not in print). Although this recording was unfortunately made while Baker was terribly hoarse, her wonderful audience interaction and the fact that they lovingly applaude her every move more than make up for it. There are also two recordings Baker made in the 1960s which have yet to turn up on disc - "Chante l'amour" is divine in every respect, while "Chante Paris" includes some wonderful french chansons that will remind anyone of Paris.
   
   The cover photograph of "The Fabulous Josephine Baker" by Levene is a great visual representation of who Baker was in the latter part of her career - wearing a magnificent glittering form-fitting gown, all topped off with an eleborate head-dress straight out of the Folies Bergere that even puts Bob Mackie to shame, looking radiantly beautiful, with her big, trade-mark smile. If only this album could give one the astounding visual of the great Josephine Baker live on stage descending down a staircase with her grandiose costumes, surrounded by her sexy back up dancers and singers, hitting her amazing high notes with her rich, smooth, mobile voice and chanting to the world of the glories of Paris. She was truely a Diva of Divas, and the greatest modern pop stage performer the world has yet seen.



3. THis CD, The Fabulous Josephine Baker, is an excellent example of what she had that made her perhaps the top female performer and singer in France for more than thirty years.
   
   If we think of her as an Ameican singer who happened to live and work in France, we won't get it. What Josephine was, was an expatriate singer from the United States who became in a short time one of th best, certainly, and even possibly the very best, French - Parisian POP singer of all time. She was a French singer, therefore, and because American Xenophobia doesn't allow for any other people at any time or from any country to possibly compete with and surpass American performers -- basebqll teams that win the world series are "world champions" though they never play internationally; heavyweight boxers, when they win the title, become "World champions" though mostly they only fight other american boxers -- Josephine Baker is not, and could not be considered more than a novelty in the USA. Her vocal production was usually called "reedy" and affected. But, to the French, her voice was, in its way, as French as Piaf's or de Lisle's or Mistinguettes, or any of the other singers of the time, because to sing in French, well, you must produce a sound that is compatible with the consolants and vowels of the language. That's why virtually all French singers (of both sexes and all disciplines) sound the way they do. They sing for a descriminating French audience.
   
   Piaf the Tragedienne, is most familiar to Ameicans mostly because of her distinctive nasal burr. Americans don't like Tragic songs, except in the Country/Western context, but accept it in Piaf because Piaf is almost all they know of French POP music. Jo Baker they seldom heard, and only with Jim Crow shame. But Baker personifies an aspect of French culture that is unique in the world; she is the spirit of Paris; the fun, the excitement, the joie de vivre that one feels just being there. She stands on the Eifel Tower the way an angel stands on the tip of the Christmaqs tree, waving her arms and legs, smiling that huge smile of hers and hitting those amazing high notes, welcoming everybody around the world, to the City of Light, to Paris.
   
   I strongly recommend her En Avril a Paris: check out her English-language choruses and riffs. In Moi, she appears as Shirley Bassey's mom; so hot! So brassy! So big Nightclub! Paris mes amours is wonderfully giddy and gay; something right out of a Follies production, with a chorus of half-dressed boys and girls singing their hearts out; all buttocks, thighs and navels. My particular favorite is, I think, Avec; a Brazilian Samba, with chorus. It's fun to listen to. So's the whole album. The woman had such range. Her voice is by far, the most athletic, flexible and pitch perfect and secure of any of her generation, and certainly of ours. The babe had pipes.



4. Impossible for any Josephine Baker collection of songs to be anything but 5 star! Buy, listen,and enjoy.



5. Giddy Can-Can type chansonettes, soulful ballads, Edit Piaf-esque hymns to Paris, Josephine Baker, at the peak of her vocal powers, delivers them all with consummate mastery and apparent ease. Her rich, creamy mezzo and rapid even vibrato are the perfect vehicle for these chansons, and her timing and dynamic expression are impeccable. Far from the twittery interpretations of her early recordings, these songs are the works of a mature master.

   Sure, some of the orchestrations and arrangements are corny, but that's the style of the period, and it's great fun. One or two times of listening to this, and you'll be humming happily along.

   To those who have never heard Josephine's later recordings, she may at moments be reminiscent of a more fluid, powerful and infinitely happier and more mellow Edith Piaf.

   The recoding engineers have done an admirable job of transferring this early stereo work to compact disc. While this recording does not offer the sonic depth of a contemporary recording, it nevertheless delivers everything with great clarity and negligible distortion.

No comments about Les Amants de Teruel.

No comments about Du Jazz Dans Le Ravin.

3 comments about 16 Most Requested Songs.

1. Sixteen (16) Most Requested Songs is a Billie Holiday sampler CD that allows newcomers and casual fans to hear some of Billie's great recordings and then decide for themselves if they want to delve further and buy more CDs by this immortal artist. The sound quality is excellent; and the artwork is very nicely done.
   
   The CD starts with Billie singing "Miss Brown To You." This number features Billie at her best in the 1930s. Billie sings very well and she never misses a note! Billie's excellent diction and timing enhance her performance; you will know you are truly listening to a master when this CD starts! "If You Were Mine" features a magnificent piano arrangement; "If You Were Mine" is another great highlight of this album.
   
   "The Way You Look Tonight" has a great horn solo; and when Billie sings this it truly takes flight! Billie sings this with panache, heart and soul. "Pennies From Heaven" is a classic pop vocal that again showcases Billie's fine vocal talents---what a pleasure it is to hear these old songs by Billie! Moreover, there's Billie doing her best on "I Can't Give You Anything But Love;" she easily aces this and the piano arrangement is extremely elegant.
   
   "I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm" has Billie wailing this out like the pro she always was! Billie sounds great and the slight surface noise on some of these tracks never distracts you from the words and music--these numbers are all that good. "Why Was I Born?" also features Billie singing the blues like no one else ever could!
   
   "My Man" gets the royal treatment from Billie who sings this with all her heart and soul. I never heard "My Man" sound better than when Billie Holiday was singing it! She truly takes this classic pop vocal and makes it her own through her incredible ability to impart every subtle nuance of the lyrics to her listeners. "Body And Soul" shines equally bright when Billie performs this with panache. "Body And Soul" has a fine musical arrangement to accompany Billie as she sings.
   
   "God Bless The Child" is a true gem when the immortal Billie Holiday sings this classic, timeless number; the horn and the piano have especially fine arrangements. The CD ends with a number recorded very late in Billie's career, "I'm A Fool To Want You." Although Billie's voice may seem worn out to some, I think that her more mature voice truly conveys the sadness of the lyrics and, in an unusual way, actually strengthens her performance to make this ballad all the more poignant.
   
   Billie Holiday was one in a million; and she will never be forgotten. Long after most "celebrities" are dead and gone, Billie Holiday and her artistry will live on in the hearts and minds of her adoring fans well into the future. I highly recommend this fine CD as a sampler CD or a fine starter CD for people just discovering the great Billie Holiday; diehard fans will want CDs and especially box sets by Billie Holiday that are much more substantial.



2. Bille Holiday is a Fantastic Singer who left us much too soon.
   I enjoyed this CD and play it everyday.
   Her voice is like no other.



3. 16 Most Requested Songs is one of my favorite album's with such hits as Body & Soul, I'm a Fool to Want You, and God Bless the Child it just doesn't get any better. I discovered Billie Holiday about 6 years ago and have been in love with her music and voice since. I beleive that this album is right up there with "Billie Holiday Sings Standards." I think every Billie Holiday fan should own this album.

No comments about The Capitol Lounge Series: Puttin' on the Ritz.