3 comments about Songs of New York.

1. Had a 50th birthday party in NYC.Some of my friends and I took the trip together from California.I had purchased this as a gift for them.All the songs were wonderful and most became an anthem for us as we drank and dined our way through that great city.



2. I have not been too much of a fan of Bobby Short in the past, because I greatly prefer jazz singing to cabaret singing. But I took a flyer on this CD because it had some unusual songs, plus Short works out with a jazz combo on this recording from the Café Carlyle. Short really does about everything a jazz singer does, except that he's more theatrical. I loved the CD, from beginning to end - great songs, put over by a first-rate entertainer whom I've got to look into more.



3. This recording is a must for anyone in love with the romance of New York, or at least the way it used to be, say 60 or so years ago when Cole Porter ruled the song-writing world. It's easy to imagine living in a penthouse high above Central Park, stirring martinis, when listening to it, especially the slow tempo "Autumn in New York," which Short delivers so beautifully. The melancholy of the song never fails to move you back to a slower, simpler and more peaceful time. The other songs are equally enjoyable and memorable and are perfectly recorded to reflect the intimate nature of the Carlyle itself. Each song is met with a smattering of applause and cheers from the audience. You feel you are there, a few feet from the stand, enjoying a drink in the dark with that special someone. The musicians joining Short are superb, of course, and it's evident they enjoy playing together. A highlight is Vache's coronet, which in a single note can capture the skyline of New York.

No comments about Best of Benabar.

1 comments about Songs of Noel Coward.

1. This CD contains 22 comtemporary recordings, some as old as 1924, and most featuring the Master himself. Although the quality on some tracks was scratchy, it is a wonder that they have survived at all. Most facinating to hear the style of the times compared to modern interpretations you may know. It's a real tease to want to hear more from the shows!

4 comments about Quinze Ans d'Amour.

1. This is a terrific Brel collection containing 7 of his most treasured songs among the 20 on the CD.
   
   Wonderful English translations by Amazon.com reviewer Thelma Blitz for many of these songs are available separately in the Infiniment (ASIN: B0002PUHGU) and the Olympia '61 and '64 (ASIN: B000BJ7D96) 2-CD Brel collections. Complete Brel song lyrics in French are available from Amazon.com in "Tout Brel" (ISBN: 2264033711), and a terrific French-English dictionary to use in studying Brel's chansons is the "Collins-Robert French Dictionary Complete & Unabridged" (ISBN: 000718381X).
   
   Brel's best songs in this collection include:
   
   "Quand On N'a Que L'amour" (When We Have Only Love, track 2) is Brel's quintessential theme song (circa 1960) for idealistic young lovers who believe that love conquers all, in stark contrast to Brel's later more jaded songs, ranging from "Le Prochain Amour" in 1961 (not on this CD) to "La Chanson des Vieux Amants" (Song of the Old Lovers, track 17) in 1967. "Quand On N'a Que L'amour" strikes a similar tone of optimism as another Brel song, "Au Printemps", which is not included in this collection.
   
   "Ne Me Quitte Pas" (Don't Leave Me, track 4) is Brel's most famous torch song, in which he uses exquisite imagery to press his suit with a girl who has already left him, descending in the end into abject desperation as he struggles to maintain a link, any link at all, with the object of his love. Frank Sinatra was moved to sing an English version of this song ("If You Go Away"), which unfortunately doesn't do justice to the stunning poetry of the French original. This is my favorite song of the entire Jacques Brel repertoire because of the power and the haunting beauty of the lyrics, Brel's impassioned voice and the evocative music!
   
   "Le Plat Pays" (The Flat Country, track 6) is Brel's nostalgic homage to his home country of Belgium, sung with great affection in French and Flemish. Although he grew up in Belgium, he spent nearly his entire musical career in Paris, France.
   
   "Les Vieux" (The Old People, track 9), evokes a ticking clock as a metaphor for the passage of time. It paints a grim portrait of life in the twilight years, set to the beat of a grandfather clock.
   
   "Mon Enfance" (My Childhood, track 16), one of Brel's most passionate songs, takes a candid look back at what Brel describes as a quite unhappy childhood. Complimenting his voice is a ravishingly beautiful accompaniment by piano, cello, singing saw and orchestra that manage to convey a strong sense of nostalgia despite the misery Brel describes.
   
   "La Chanson des Vieux Amants" (Song of the Old Lovers, track 17) is a wonderful nostalgic look back at a romance of 20 years: all the storms the couple has endured, and "the sweet tender marvelous love" that continues today even as their "tender war" persists. To me, Brel's passionate singing and the wonderful piano and orchestral accompaniment evoke all the romance and nostalgia of a World War II era Casablanca, making this one of Brel's greatest classic songs.
   
   "Amsterdam" (track 20) is one of Brel's most famous songs. It's about the sailors who disembark in this Dutch port and how they deal with the vicissitudes of their lonely lives and the dreams that haunt them once they reach the shore.
   
   Other highly recommended Jacques Brel CDs you can find on Amazon.com include:
   
   Title (ASIN#) No. of Songs
   
   Infiniment (B0002PUHGU) 40 songs with wonderful English translations
   Olympia '61 and '64 (B000BJ7D96) 30 songs with great English translations
   Quand On N'a Que L'amour (B00000IYC9) 49 songs with color photos and an essay on Brel's life and songs (3-CD set)
   Ne Me Quitte Pas (B0000AKOLJ) 11 songs
   Les Flamandes (B000006UOA) 21 songs
   Les Bonbons (B0000AKOLD) 14 songs
   Ballades Et Mots D'amour (B00003Q56T) 30 songs
   Vol. 1-Special Edition (ASIN: B000042OFF) 16 songs
   Master Series: Jacques Brel (B0000046O5) 16 songs (same songs as on Vol. 1-Special Edition)
   Volume 1 - Grand Jacques (B00000DXQY) 15 songs including "Sur La Place"
   Grand Jacques Integrale 172 Titres (B000025BD8) 172 songs (10-CD set)
   
   What's even more fabulous than the CDs, however, is the 3 volume DVD set released in 2003: "Jacques Brel: Comme quand on etait beau" (ASIN: B0000AQJPR). The set includes 7.5 hours of live and staged performances as well as interviews and home video footage. Everything that the heart of a Jacques Brel fan desires to capture the essence of this very theatrical artist in a way that an audio-only recording can not.
   
   Also of tremendous interest: the VHS video "Jacques Brel" (ASIN: B0001P1XG4), a video biography on the life and music of Jacques Brel. Full length documentary features extensive live footage and interviews with Brel himself as well as his daughter and associates. It is also available on DVD, but only from Films Media Group.



2. Brel est maître de la poésie et du langage. La douceur de ses mélodies ne lasse pas et la richesse de ses textes invite à la réflexion.



3. Cuando Luis Eduardo Aute, presentó a Pablo Milanés en su concierto de Punto y Aparte en Madrid en 1983 (Entre Amigos, 1983), describió a Pablo como el autor de una de las tres mejores canciones de amor que existen. En orden jerárquico: ne me quitte pas de Jaques Brel; yesterday de Paul McCartney; y Para Vivir de Pablo Milanés.



4. When ending his farewell concerts in the Paris Olympia Music Hall, Jacques Brel, came back to the stage, after the audience refused to stop applauding for over 15 minutes. He told the audience: 'thank you, because this justifies 15 years of love'(Quinze ans d'amour). Brel devoted 15 years of his live to continuous touring, playing in every possible music hall, from Russia to the USA. When listening to his CD, we can understand why his audience adored him to this point. Every song is a masterpiece, his talent to incarnate the personages he sings about has no equivalent. As a journalist once wrote: 'each of his song is a Greek masterpiece'.

No comments about Bobby Short Is Mad About Noel Coward.

4 comments about Pure Cool.

1. Great,cool jazz, some wellknown, some new to me, just cool, play it in my car, makes the ride even better.



2. As a newcomer to the genre of jazz back in 2000...this album was the *PERFECT* intro to the delectable sound that is jazz. From start to finish compiling such a good range of artists like legends John Coltrane, and Chet Baker to newer artists like Cassandra Wilson....It does not dissapoint. I highly recommend this for those how just love music to chill to....and those trying to discover REAL jazz music. Hands down, it's THE BEST true jazz comp I've ever heard....anyone out there know of one that's better....speak up....



3. A good compilation of laid back jazz tunes. There are both instrumental and vocal gems on this colelction such as Cry Me A River, After Midnight, People, and Tupelo Honey. The mood is pretty consistent so those who like jams that bop a little might be a bit dissappointed. However, the tracks are pretty first rate and definitely pleasing.

   Newbies to jazz might want to purchase Pure Jazz before this compilation. However, if you like a more slick sound in your msuic, this one will soothe your ears.




4. I was quite pleasantly surprised at this gem of an album. It is a testament to the talent these great artists. I love this album, and I'm sure you will too.

3 comments about The Collection.

1. I loved this!!!! It brought back lovely memories of my flaming youth in England in the 60,s I always think of Marianne as a gentle girl lost in the mist waiting for her truelove to appear on the moors to rescue her at which time she promptly turns into "LA BELLE DAME SANS MERCY" and kills him with lovesickness. This dvd is wonderful and if you like the "young and Innocent" convent girl who rocked you will love it.



2. On her mid to late 1960s recordings, Marianne Faithfull's voice was at times so delicate that Michelle Phillips' voice sounded positively robust by comparison. But that's one of the reasons Ms. Faithfull's early work was (and remains) so endearing. The other reasons? One, she possessed talent right from the start. Two, she and her producers selected songs perfectly suited to her style and range. And three, the production values (notably the musicianship, the background vocals and the arrangements) were first-rate.
   
   Without question, this 2-disc compilation of her early pop and folk recordings is the best-sounding offering in the digital age. I think this is the fourth such comp I've bought since the ABKCO "Greatest Hits" CD came out some 15 years ago. The production team here has really done a superb job of remastering these recordings, some of which are now at least 40 years old.
   
   So why only a 4-star rating? The absence of her first hit single -- "As Tears Go By" -- is a major drawback for me. This was the song that introduced Marianne Faithfull to most of us who embraced Top 40 radio all those years ago. It really should have led off disc 1. I'm puzzled why it wasn't included.
   
   That said, the songs that are here, including her other major chart entries -- "Come And Stay With Me," "This Little Bird," and "Summer Nights" -- sound better than they ever have. Unlike with previous comps, I don't have to crank this one up to hear her voice and the musicians and singers who accompany her. Her older CD comps sound flat, listless, even muddy. This one fills the room. It has presence. So, whether you want to upgrade what you have of her early work or you're curious to know what Ms. Faithfull sounded like years before she gave us such darkly memorable albums as Broken English, Strange Weather (which soulfully revisits "As Tears Go By"), and Before The Poison, the 2-disc The Collection is the one to get.



3. If you're looking for "Sister Morphine" "Eyes of Lucy Jordan" or any later remakes of Faithfull's early works this is not the place to find them! All of these are during the period of time when her voice was young, fresh and at times operatic. This includes her folk pieces for the "hard-core" folk listener but also lovely covers of things I never realized she even did that others took to more recognized heights.
   
   Examples being "The First Time Ever I saw Your Face", "Monday Monday", "If I Never Get to Love You" (IMO a gentler version than the late great Timi Yuro's which I still do love anyhow!); "I'm a Loser" and yes, she even covered Petula's "Down Town" very sweetly!
   
   Thoroughly enjoyable listening experience of another time in a great artist's long career!

3 comments about Falling in Love Is Wonderful.

1. This album has the best back-story of all of Jimmy Scott's albums: Ray Charles plucks Scott from a downward career slide and gives him a first-class orchestral pop treatment--only to see the evil Herman Lubinsky (Savoy Records' owner) ruin the whole thing with a threatened lawsuit (the record was pulled from the racks).
   
   (Context: In the 1950s, Jimmy Scott evidently carelessly signed all manner of contracts put before him by Lubinsky; Joel Dorn has called Lubinsky "a hemorrhoid of a human...whom even the worst record business golems of the era shunned.")
   
   Okay, so all of that is interesting, and the album does hold up. But does it surpass his first two Warner Bros. records, or his Atlantic sessions from 1969 and 1972 (scattered over "Lost and Found" and "The Source")? In my opinion, no, it doesn't surpass those works. Scott isn't allowed to stretch out quite as fully here (most of the tracks clock in at 3:30-4:00), and the orchestral arrangements aren't quite as tasty as the sonic divans created for his subsequent pop masterpieces. This record is one of his best, make no mistake, but not the holy grail of legend, the greatest thing he ever did.
   
   So start with the first two on Warner Bros. and the Atlantic Records stuff, and then get this record, the Savoy stuff, his recent series on Milestone, and the Decca sides. Then choose very carefully among what's left--there are a couple of sessions that aren't worth purchasing.
   
   BTW, the liner notes hint that Ray Charles (who, to be fair, put out a lot of cash and time to make this record happen in the first place) was acting a little Lubinsky-like after Scott's ship finally came in in the early 1990s:
   
   "Only one question remains: Why did the producer [Charles] wait so long to finally release the record? After all, when Lubinsky died in 1985, the threat of lawsuits died along with him.
   
   "Timing is everything," says Brother Ray. "And right now, it's Jimmy Scott's time."
   
   Ray allowed Rhino handmade a limited domestic release which carried premium price around the time that David Ritz's authorized biography came out. Now one must pay import prices to get this album. The indignities never end...



2. Finally, this great lost LP is now on CD, and everyone can hear the artistry that is Jimmy Scott. It's a tragedy that due to tangled legal issues, "Falling In Love Is Wonderful" was quickly pulled in 1963 shortly after it's initial release. ... Jimmy's career was frustrated by this, and so one of the greatest jazz vocal LPs became something of a Holy Grail for those discriminating listeners determined to find a rare copy in music stores or online. But now all the legal issues are resolved and everyone can enjoy this remarkable record on CD. To think of the lost opportunities to Scott's career could make one weep. And to listen to Scott's mesmerizing vocals could bring a tear to one's eye on classic tracks like "They Say It's Wonderful" and "Someone To Watch Over Me". I can't recommend this CD enough!



3. Ray Charles wanted to highlight Jimmy Scott's ballad ability, and he does here. What keeps this CD from being rated 5 stars is that there is not much variation in tempi. Otherwise, Scott's ability to get inside a ballad and make it his own is exemplary. The title cut, for example, is the most moving version of this song I have ever heard and I think is the strongest cut. Charles' piano complements and, in fact, comments a bit on the lyrics and there is some great byplay between the vocalist and pianist. The stereo mix is a bit extreme (The mono mix might present a more coherent image, but you might lose Charles' piano, by himself, out in the left channel).

   This is thoroughly enjoyable and it's great to see it re-released.

1 comments about Des Souvenirs Devant.

1. This cd is delicious! It's relaxing and the French lyrics are really great to listen to. Je Fais Semblant is the greatest (I think) but they're all a star themself.

4 comments about Bobby Short Loves Cole Porter/Guess Who's in Town.

1. Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R32WOCW3UPEXMP Great performer, great songwriter. How lucky we are...



2. This two-CD set is a true gem. The second features songs with lyrics written by Andy Razaf--familiar tunes such as "Honeysuckle Rose" and "Ain't Misbehavin'"--for such luminaries as Fats Waller and Eubie Blake. Fantastic liner notes taken from the original album.
   
   The title CD features 70 minutes of Cole Porter brought to dazzling light by Bobby Short's fabulous voice and piano. Some of the tracks were previously unpublished, some part of the many Broadway shows and Hollywood movies Porter collaborated on. If you're not too familiar with Porter, but are a Woody Allen fan, you'll certainly recognize "I'm In Love Again" from 'Hannah and her Sisters'. "Weren't We Fools" has something for everyone who has loved and lost and loved again.
   
   When I first played this CD, my 2 1/2+ year-old son said "Mommy plays pretty music"...at every pause between tracks he said "More music is coming." Yes, Bobby Short will make everyone love Cole Porter. Short's magnetic personality and energy shines through the technology so you can simply close your eyes and imagine yourself in the Cafe Carlyle or any other venue where he played.
   
   Pop this CD in your car and you won't care if someone cuts you off or doesn't signal a turn....



3. I, too, treasure the 2-disc vinyl set of "Bobby Short Loves Cole Porter." This particular issue of the CD is a bargain...it was originally issued a few years ago at, if I recall correctly, over $30. More years ago than I want to remember, while living in New York, I had the pleasure of spending my 30th birthday at the Carlyle and Mr. Short with my first wife...who also later became my second! But I digress...This disc set is one I treaure, and one who anyone with a sense of musical style [which invariably means a keen sense of personal style, I find] will enjoy. So, my STRONG advice: mix an ice-cold Manhattan or martini [stir it...don't shake!], settle down over some terrific hor d'oevres, and let the nuances that can define love and life overtake you. Nothing better.



4. I've been waiting 20 years for "Bobby Short Loves Cole Porter" to be released on CD. I don't know what the problem might have been, but the Atlantic vinly two-disc set from the seventies is perhaps my favorite jazz vocal recording of all time. This album features Bobby with his two longtime sidemen - Robby Scott on drums and the late, great Beverly Peer bowing the double bass. About Cole Porter nothing more need be said. And the whole shebang is cheaper than two drinks at the Cafe Carlyle bar. Buy it and treasure it.