5 comments about Tain't Nobody's Biz-Ness If I Do.

1. While I agree that her voice can sound a little chidish at times, this is my favorite Helen Humes album. (I have a few, but this is the only one I replaced on cd). A nice selection of songs, with a very good jazz band behind her. And this is also my favorite version of my favorite song, "Stardust." After all these years, listening to her return after the horn solo still sends chills up my spine.



2. Helen Humes is simply the greatest jazz singer that ever lived! An amazing singer with authentic jazz time. She is rhythmically in-tune.....she swings!! She has the most natural instrumentalized, horn-like phrasing I've ever heard (aside from Louis Armstrong & Jack Teagarden). Helen Humes is one of a handful of singers (which includes Ella Fitzgerald) that sings without inhibition or hang-ups. Her sound comes off as pure and clean. This quality is something you would normally hear from a child singing with abandon (also a child's laughter), unadultered by the "grown-up" world. Almost all singers let their insecurities influence their singing. A singer with "personality" (which the previous reviewer preferred), sing with affectations or mannerisms (presently in vogue is the "churchy" or gospel-like sound), which is unfortunately the norm and what people expect of singers. Singing TRUE and PURE is an extremely rare gift, and Helen Humes' possess that gift!!! If you're a jazz aficionado or if you want to listen to something refreshing and different, buy this CD you won't be disappointed!!



3. Yes,musicians are great,repertoire is great BUT I just can't warm up to Helen Humes voice.She reminds me too much of the young,Chick Webb - era Ella Fitzgerald,all girly,squeeky clean and "lovable".That particular type of voice,with its "freshness and cleanniness" is simply unlistenable to me,it says volumes about possesor of the voice AND always frozen smile on the face.Listening good reviews I bought not one but two Helen humes albums and still after several months I cannot find any special magic about her,except the fact that I find her "cuteness" very annoying.Some people find her good,but I need a character behind the voice and this woman sounds too much like young Ella (whom I never liked in the first place,lack of personality being the reason).Perhaps this similarity was the reason why Humes never broke really big and never had status of other great jazz legends.The only exception on the album would be "Bill" from "Showboat" which unexpectedly,Humes sing with some emotions,everything else sound forced to me.



4. If you want music that you can't help but move to, this is it. I thought Dinah Washington was the Top Bannana, with Billie Holiday right beside her, but I have now added Helen Humes to the list. They just don't make em like this any more! True quality...true feel good music! Heaven has got to be a rockin' place.



5. Her 1st LP for OJC(her best was Songs I Like To Sing) out of three, is a great jazz session well worth picking up. She is one of the few artists like Anita O'Day(on Verve), you know if her name is on the cover it's worth buying. Highlights include "Amung My Suvineers" and "Bill Bailey."

2 comments about The Billie Holiday Songbook.

1. The usual controversy continues: was Billie better earlier or later in her career? Many will tell you that the ravages of time and hard-living destroyed her voice, and that her late recordings are sad listening; an equal number will tell you that her early voice, although charming, never possessed the depth of emotion communicated in her later recordings.

   If you prefer the young Holiday, you may not like this particular collection. If you have never heard the later recordings and would like to, this particular collection would be an excellent choice. And if you are already a fan of the later recordings, you will find that every single track in the collection is essential.




2. Everyone has their own fave Billie Holiday, I guess - this ain't mine. It's mostly remakes made in the 50's, and they sound antiseptic compared with the originals. In particular "Strange fruit" a song about lynching, is undercut by an amateur, theatrical piano. It's not that Billie lost her touch (aircheck recordings from the 50's reveal brilliance), but Verve really undercut her voice here. Too bad.

1 comments about News & the Blues: Telling It Like It Is.

1. This is a collection of blues songs from the '20s, '30s and '40s. These songs were grouped together because they were "topical", at the time. That is to say, they dealt with issues that were of interest to black people at the time. Among the subjects of the songs included here are: natural disasters, poverty and unemployment, illegal activities such as gambling and bootlegging, the lives of famous black Americans, World War II, the atomic bomb, and so on. With any collection of this nature, some of the performers are better than others. I like Big Bill Broonzy the best, but that's just a personal preference. This is a well chosen collection that should appeal to fans of the old time blues.

No comments about Eternal Romance: Classic Love Songs.

5 comments about Blue Gardenia.

1. This disc gives us a mature, world-weary Etta, who sings her heart out in this fabulous jazz album, mostly about the slings and arrows of love, obsession, and in "He's Funny That Way", a recognition of one's own character failures. One of the main strengths of the CD is the choice of material, which consists of some of the best melodies and strongest lyrics ever written, and Etta wrings every ounce of soul out of them.
   Outstanding are "Love Letters", "Cry Me a River", and the one that sticks with me long after the CD is over is "My Man".
   
   This is music that will be appreciated by those who have been through the mill and come out a little bruised; those unscathed by life and love might not appreciate this recording, which may be one of Etta's finest, in the same way.
   The musicians are superb, and echo the vocals in feeling. Cedar Walton on piano, Ronnie Buttacavoli on trumpet, Josh Sklair on guitar, and Red Holloway on tenor sax are stellar, as well as Tony Dumas, bass / Ralph Pendland, drums / George Bohannon, trumpet, and on "Love Letters", Rick Baptist, flugelhorn and Ron Powell on percussion.
   The final track is sung by Etta's mother, Dorothy Leatherwood, and she'll bring a tear to your eye with her rendition of "Blue Gardenia".
   
   Recorded between November of 2000 and March of 2001, the sound is terrific, and has a very intimate sound, as if one were front row and center in a small club.
   The fold-out insert has a song list, recording info and liner notes: no lyrics, but one of the beauties of Etta's singing is her diction, and she makes every word understandable; there are no "misheard lyrics" on this CD.
   Total playing time is 61'20.



2. Etta James is not dead! Perhaps you are thinking of Etta Jones?



3. All I know about EJ is what's on this recording. I wish I had listened to her long before. But she has the right combination of tenderness and sweaty hot sexy soul and it just suits me fine. I don't think the album will ever get tired.

   Favorite tracks: "In My Solitude" and "Cry Me a River" but all the rest are close behind. There is a great intimate sax solo on "...Solitude."

   I don't see how I could go wrong in buying more music from the superb Etta James.




4. If you're thinking about Diana Krall - stop. Let Etta James show you how Jazz should REALLY be done. Don't hesitate - click "BUY NOW". Great stuff!



5. I thought this CD would contain her classic performances -- instead I learn it was recorded last year and in early 2001. Ms. James is long past her prime. Her voice now calls for orchestral support, warmth. Instead, we get Cedar Walton's notion -- rhythm section with brass dominated by fluegel horn(!). Almost unlistenable. Everything mixed at same level, no layering, no subltely. I blame Walton's arrangements -- boring, stilted, unimaginative, lazy. Poor Etta.

5 comments about Santa Claus Blues.

1. Santa Claus blues is the swing'nest set ever of authentic blues and jazz takes on Christmas, going back to historical takes from the 1920s. This is the real thing.
   
   Highlights include the title track, "Santa Claus Blues," recorded by Clarence Williams' Blue Five in 1925, featuring Louis Armstrong on trumpet and Sidney Bechet on soprano sax. This is the same tune that the Red Onion Jazz Babies recorded in 1924, with no vocals. Here we get the lyrics - a real treat - sung by Eva Taylor.
   
   This is followed by a 1927 recording of Victoria Spivey, accompanied by Lonnie Johnson and Porter Grainger, on the "Christmas Morning Blues." Victoria Spivey's plaintive voice has never been matched - and this is one of her finest performances. The song reminds us that early jazz and blues artists lived in a world of gross racial injustice and repression. "My man is so deep in trouble," laments Spivey, "the white folk couldn't get him free." I cannot listen to the piece without feeling horror at how my country treated African Americans, and overwhelming respect for the artists who gave us America's greatest musical art forms - jazz and the blues.
   
   Other songs include a 1928 recording of Ozie Ware and Duke Ellington's Hot Five covering "Santa Claus, Bring My Man Back," a 1934 recording of Ted Weems and his Orchestra covering "Winter Wonderland," a 1935 recording of Benny Goodman and his Orchestra playing "Jingle Bells," and a 1935 recording of Putney Dandridge and his Swing Band covering Johnny Mercer's "Santa Claus Came in the Spring," featuring Teddy Wilson on piano, Red Allen on trumpet, and either Ben Webster or Teddy McRae on tenor sax.
   
   Then Louis Prima and his New Orleans Gang ask: "What will Santa Claus Say (When He Finds Everybody Swingin'?" The 1936 recording is pure joy.
   
   Fats Waller is "Swingin' them Jingle Bells," in a 1936 recording that, unlike most of the music on this disk, has been included in some other various-artists collections of Christmas music.
   
   This is followed by 1937 recordings of Dick Robertson and his Orchestra, featuring Bobby Hackett on cornet, giving us the hokum of "I Want You for Christmas," Count Basie and his Orchestra with "Good Morning Blues (I Want to See Santa Claus)," and Art Bowlly and his Orchestra on "Ev'ry Day's a Holiday."
   
   Dick Robertson and his Orchestra ask you to "Meet Me Under the Mistletoe" in a 1941 recording, while Woody Herman and his Orchestra proclaim that "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" in a 1942 session.
   
   Filling out the disk are:
   
   Johnny Otis and his Orchestra with "Happy New Year, Baby" (1947);
   
   Ella Fitzgerald on "Santa Claus Got Stuck in my Chimney" (1950);
   
   Lionel Hampton and his Orchestra playing "Boogie Woogie Santa Claus" and "Merry Christmas, Baby" (no date given);
   
   Jack Teagarden singing "The Christmas Song" (a.k.a. "Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire") (1954);
   
   Louis Armstrong with the Commanders on Cool Yule" and "'Zat You, Santa Claus?" (1953);
   
   Louis Armstrong with Benny Carter's Orchestra on "Christmas in New Orleans" and "Christmas Night in Harlem" (1953);
   
   Louis Armstrong reading Clement Moore's poem "The Night Before Christmas" (1971).
   
   Louis Armstrong's Christmas music is a joy. But the real attractions here are the rarities from the 1920s. They are great recordings, by great artists, and should be better known than they are.
   
   The musicianship is first rate and the collection is seamless. Each song flows naturally to the next. And there's not a clunker among them. This is truly an amazing Christmas collection - I value it above all others. And I own quite a few.
   
   Eric Alan Isaacson
   
   P.S., If you love it as much as I do, then check out the 1934 recording of "Christmas Night in Harlem," by Paul Whiteman and his Orchestra, with Jack Teagarden and Johnny Mercer on vocals. (track 18 on I Gotta Right to Sing the Blues) And before you jump to conclusions about the references to "kink out" in his Christmas stocking, remember that Jack Teagarden played in racially integrated bands when the practice was still taboo. The recording is a period piece, no doubt, sung by a man who was truly in the vanguard of racial integration.



2. I bought the tape back in the 80's at Tower Records. Then lost it. I'm heartbroken because it's my absolute favorite Christmas music. I have it on "order" through Amazon and I keep upping the price I'll pay, but nothing has shown up for the two years I've had my request on file.

   People seem to love it or hate it, but it's just the thing for people who are overloaded with the typical Christmas stuff. This one is good year 'round.




3. This is a great CD both for listening and to add to your Christmas collection. For years I had it and recently lost the CD. Now I am desperate to replace it. If you come across it, but it because you will definitely enjoy it.



4. This CD ranges from the old classic "Jingle Bells," peppered up by Benny Goodman and Fats Waller, to great swing songs like "Santa Claus Came In the Spring". (Santa Claus came in the spring, Santa Claus came when the skys were blue, I heard his sleigh bells jingaling, the day that I found you) You'll be singing to this one after you play it several times! My kids love it, and we even get it out in the summer when we long for Christmas!

   It is a very long CD and it starts out with the semi depressing Harlem blues of the 20's and goes in chronological order to the Louis Armstrong of the 50's. After the first 3 songs, it picks up to the big band and jazz sound of the 30's and 40's, which makes up well over half of the CD. It will become one of those family classics. If you do not care for bouncy music, this CD may get on your nerves, however. It is not for the people who long for a calm, soothing CD!




5. Jump start your holiday listening with this fabulous collection of treasures from the past! This is a seriously fun CD that will blow away anyone with a pulse when they hear it for the first time. Especially noteworthy is the great Satchmo singing "Zat You Santa Claus?," and a 20-year-old Ella Fitzgerald singing "Santa Claus Got Stuck in My Chimney." Satchmo also closes the CD with a reading of "Twas the Night Before Christmas".

   All you recent converts to swing and jump blues - this is one for you. "Boogie-Woogie Santa Claus," and "What Will Santa Claus Say (when he finds everybody swinging!)" are worth the price of this CD alone.

   You'll be the hero of the holiday party when you bring this one along! Talk about blowing Andy Williams out of the water....!

1 comments about In the Land of Hi-Fi.

1. Dinah at her best! Great songs, great arrangements,
   and great voice ! You can't go wrong with this cd!

1 comments about I Like Jazz: The Essence of Billie Holiday.

1. i had a three cd set of billie, and i lost the first disc, which included some of my favorite songs by her. so, i went looking for one with the songs i was missing (mostly All of Me, and What a Little Moonlight Can Do),and this is the one i found. It was definitely a good choice! I know there a few versions of her doing All of Me (which is my absolute favorite song by her), and this has the best one. Also, her redition of They Can't Take That Away From Me is great, but then so are all of the rest of the songs. This is one of the cheaper cd's of hers, but I believe it is one of the best, without getting more than one disc.

5 comments about Roots N' Blues: Retrospective 1925-1950.

1. But oink oink what a money grubber to ask 299.00 for this set.
   Whoever is asking almost 300.00 for this set,I really think that is abit overboard.
   I hope you don't sell it frankly.
   
   I realize you can ask what you want,but this is really over the top.



2. In getting ready to play this set for the umpteenth time since I first acquired it (and with almost 3,000 CD's in my collection, there's a lot of CD's I've never even played twice) I stopped by Amazon to see what others here thought of it. I am devastated to see that it is "no longer available".
   
   This is possibly THE greatest collection of early Roots and Blues music ever assembled. The diversity of talent, the quality of the recordings and the sheer "listenablilty" of it make this a must-own collection for the true roots aficionado.
   
   More importantly, it proves a point I've been trying to make for years. I know a lot of people who consider themselves "music enthusiasts" who believe that Jazz is the greatest form of Native American music, while others disagree and think that Country is the greatest form of Native American music. Still other people I know hold Blues in high regard, or R & B, or Gospel, or even Rock and Roll, all the while looking down their noses at other forms of Native American music.
   
   Guess what? They're ALL wrong! And this collection proves it once and for all. "Roots N' Blues - The Retrospective 1925-1950" does not give a hoot about labels. Simply put, there is no such thing as "good genres" of music or "bad genres" of music - there are simply some musicians who are more skilled than others. For many years, I have been equally fond of Blues, Jazz, Country, Gospel and R & B, and I am SO glad that somebody thought of combining their early common attributes under one umbrella - "Roots". Not too many other compilations would think of offering the diverse talents of Ernest V. Stoneman, the Light Crust Doughboys, the Deep South Boys, Blind Willie McTell and a host of other blues / gospel / country legends all in one collection, but it just goes to show you how interchangeable it all really is. Who cares about labels? Good music is good music, and there is not a single bad performance in this entire set.
   
   If you stumble upon a copy of this collection for sale at any price, and love good music, get your hands on it. Unfortunately, certain wildly popular so-called "artists" of the 21st century will be with us forever, but real music is getting harder and harder to come by. The longer I stay around, the more I see "music" morphing into an "industry" emphasizing fashion statements, hair styles, sexy singers, amplified voices and popularity contests, while offering less and less genuine talent.
   
   Snap it up.



3. How lucky you are if you have this or if you are purchasing it now. I was one of the lucky ones who bought it back in '92, not as a music "scholar" but as someone who loves the history of popular music. When first released "Roots and Blues" was touted as delineating the path to what became rock 'n roll. That it does, but it is so much more-- great, wonderful, charming, moving, delightful, entertaining MUSIC of so many genres, a melting pot of melody-- so... American. What hasn't been mentioned before is the accompanying booklet, a treasure trove of information about every cut and performer. Listen, read, enjoy. Repeat.



4. I would have to agree with all of the reviews posted above, except that I am leaning greatly in the direction of "American Folk Anthology". I find the Roots N Blues Retro. a little lacking when it came to the more honest and sublime works offered in American Folk Anthology. If I had to buy only one knowing the same thing I do now, I would without any doubt or consideration go with American Folk Anthology. Since I have both though I won't even bother entertaining the thought.
   
   I enjoy music from all over the charts and have quite a selection going.
   American Folk Anthology is my favourite piece/s of music I have ever heard or bought, while Roots N Blues Retro may just be second. I can't say much other than if your pocket book will allow it, and in my case even if it doesn't, get both.
   Have a great day!



5. As I write this in mid-2006, the above retrospective box set is now long out of print and is fetching between $70 to $120 from Amazon's 2nd tier vendors. It is quite doubtful that it will be reissued in the near future.There is a myriad of selections, eclipsing The Anthology of American Folk Music in running time, years covered as well as musical styles- so this is still not a overpriced purchase at the above prices.
   The reviewers above and below have done excellent jobs describing the variety and overall enjoyability of the tracks. My only point here is that this is strictly a release from Columbia's (and its associated labels) vaults. While they were certainly the biggest at the time, they weren't the only player documenting early blues and folk styles.
   Therefore this is an excellent companion for a beginning enthusiast along with Harry Smith's AAFM. Both are voluminous and extremely important.
   I personally enjoy both tremendously but for different reasons: AAFM is more urgent and haunting, while this collection is certainly more "listener friendly", a more accurate account of what the public enjoyed between 1925-1950.
   The AAFM to its credit has been far more influential to the contemporary blues, folk and rock idioms; and after a few listens, I can begin to understand why.
   So therein lies my suggestion: get both! And with regards to this brilliant collection, do it soon before it fetches $150 and up. Enjoy...

3 comments about Heroes of the Blues: The Very Best of Ma Rainey.

1. Ma Rainey is one of the great singers, songwriters (if you've ever heard "C.C. Rider," you are familiar with her songwriting), entertainers and personalities of American music. Unfortunately she recorded on Paramount, a company that was mainly in the furniture business and released records to promote the sales of record players (which were furniture). Paramount did not have very good equipment, so their recordings sound bad, even if you are used to listening to other recordings of the same era. However, they had fabulous taste in music! Charley Patton is another of the utter immortals who recorded on Paramount. You have to listen to him, and you have to listen to Ma Rainey. The music is so great that it is well worth the effort to dig in with your ears. This Rainey compilation includes gems such as "Here Me Talking to You," which alone is worth the price of admission. The instrumental accompaniments are varied and fascinating -- early jazz groups, killer slide guitar (by Tampa Red), five-string banjo (by Papa Charlie Jackson I believe), and a virtuoso soloist on either kazoo, tricked-out voice or perhaps muted trumpet. The sound on this comp has been cleaned up and improved quite a bit, and quite well compared with other available Rainey recordings, despite what other reviewers on this site say. But if you prefer other comps, sure, get those. This one will do in the meantime, though, while you are shopping. The point is, you have to hear Ma Rainey, and this is a fine place to start.



2. This CD has some of the worst sound quality I have ever heard. There are Ma Rainey CDs that sound much, much better than this one - and many of them cost less and have more songs. Don't waste your money!



3. Don't expect a flawless recording. The recordings included are from 1923 thru 1928, and according to the booklet they were recorded on Paramount's inferior materials. So there is static and feedback; the quality on this CD may be better than some, but it is far from perfect. This CD also includes an essay and minimal track information (release date only).
   For they money, I don't think this 16-track collection is worth it. I would recommend "Madam Gertude `Ma' Rainey 1923-1928" (Giants of Jazz [Promo Sound], 1997).
   
   Updated reveiw:
   Newer Is Not Better [half a star]
   
   Gertrude Pridgett was born in Georgia in 1886. When she was very young, she toured as a singer and performer. In 1904 she married Will "Pa" Rainey; as a result she would soon be known to the world as "Ma" Rainey, and, in her 30s, become one of the first recording stars.
   
   HEROES OF THE BLUES: THE VERY BEST OF MA RAINEY consists of 16 songs recorded 1923-1928; tracks are not in chronological order. Disc packaged in clear jewel case; total running time 48:31. Booklet an essay by Allen Lowe and song release dates. Sound quality is poor (muffled and tinny) because Paramount produced inferior-sounding records due to the use of poor materials; listening to the CD is like listening to an old record. There is an abundance of scratchy feedback.
   
   Includes the famous and sexually provocative song "Prove It on Me Blues" that, in addition to some mean jug-blowing by Carl Reid, includes the often quoted lines "Went out last nite / With a croud of friends / It must be women / `Cuz I don't like no mens". She also mentions wearing "collars" and "a tie".
   
   A better quality collection is "Madam Gertrude `Ma' Rainey 1923-1928", a 1997 "Giants of Jazz" release from Promo Sound; it has eight more songs and the sound quality is better.