5 comments about The V-Discs: Columbia Years: 1943-45.

1. Frank Sinatra - The V-Discs - Years: 1943-1947 is a wonderful two CD set of songs recorded by Frank Sinatra to be shipped overseas to the fighting men and the women primarily during the Second World War and a couple of years thereafter. The quality of the sound is rather good but there is some degree of surface noise on these older recordings; but I say they're still very much "worth it." The artwork is also very nicely done.
   
   The first CD starts with Frank singing "I Only Have Eyes For You." I'm sure this brought many a happy memory of the men overseas as they heard this tune and thought of their sweethearts back home in the states! Frank aces this easily and it's even a major highlight of this two CD set. "(There'll Be A) Hot Time In The Town Of Berlin" held out hopes for the soldiers that they were going to win the war--it was only a mater of time. The big band arrangement works wonders for this ballad. Listen also for "You've Got A Hold On Me;" Frank massages the lyrics to this song and it sounds fresh and new even today! Great! In addition, Frank Sinatra does an excellent job on "Long Ago And Far Away;" the surface noise doesn't bother me because this number is so beautiful and it probably doesn't have many alternate takes for us to choose from because this was recorded so many years ago.
   
   "All Of Me" gets the royal treatment from Frank; he swings brightly to make this number shine like silver and gold combined! The horns work well in the big band arrangement and Frank never sounded better! "Falling In Love With Love" also gets a fine interpretation from The Chairman Of The Board; and if you haven't heard this early rendition of this song by Frank I think you're going to like it!
   
   "If You Are But A Dream" on the second CD starts with a wonderful musical flourish; and when Frank comes in this number takes off like a jet! "Ol' Man River" also impresses me as Frank sings this to perfection--and beyond! "I'll Never Smile Again" is a tune that Frank sings with panache and the backup vocalists enhance the natural beauty of this fine ballad. Similarly, "Was The Last Time I Saw You" charms me with its beauty and Frank makes this into a masterpiece that only he could sing this well. Frank also sings Judy Garland's signature song, "Over The Rainbow;" Frank delivers this with ease and he handles the complicated tempo and key changes like the pro he always was and still remains! "My Romance" features Frank front and center--and that's OK by me! There's also Frank doing a fine interpretation of "They Say It's Wonderful;" "They Say It's Wonderful" is another stunningly beautiful ballad that I'm sure the soldiers loved to hear. "Come Rain Or Come Shine" gets a somewhat slower tempo than I'm used to but it all works very well; and the second CD ends well with Frank Sinatra singing "Stormy Weather." "Stormy Weather" was a famous song when Lena Horne sang it; and Frank's version would have made Lena very proud!
   
   Overall, this two CD set is an excellent one for Sinatra fans and people who enjoy music from the era of World War Two will love this two CD set as well.



2. What should have been a momentous occasion, that of Frank Sinatra's signing to Columbia and striking out on a solo career after fronting for Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, was nearly silent due to a commercial recording ban enforced by the Musicians Union from mid-1942 to 1944. Because the ban affected instrumental musicians, vocal-only recordings were allowed, meaning that Sinatra and Axel Stordahl had to come up with alternate vocal-backed arrangements that may not have ordinarily been chosen. The second loophole was that instrumentals were allowed on V-Discs, free recordings for the sole use of GIs overseas that were supposed to be destroyed when the war ended (the Library of Congress was allowed to keep one of each disc for posterity).
   
   Sinatra's V-Disc material encompasses 53 songs on two CDs, including material from airchecks as well as studio performances. There are many well-known Sinatra Columbia tunes such as All of Me, Nancy with the Laughing Face, Close to You, Ol' Man River, All the Things You Are, and She's Funny That Way, but many of the brightest gems are songs that Sinatra never got around to recording commercially for Columbia, such as Long Ago and Far Away, You've Got a Hold On Me, Hot Time in the Town of Berlin, Just Close Your Eyes, Come Rain or Come Shine and Noel Coward's I'll Follow My Secret Heart.
   
   Guests include Dinah Shore, The Pied Pipers and Tommy Dorsey. The remastering and clean-up of these decades-old songs is flawless, and Sinatra's charm is as fresh as ever. His transition from boy singer to teen idol shows him singing with remarkable poise and confidence, and Axel Stordahl's touch is unmistakable. The liner notes are courtesy of George Simon, Roy Hemming, and Will Friedwald. Amazingly, none of these 53 recordings are represented on Columbia's massive (and out-of-print) 12-CD Sinatra box set. This is absolutely essential listening for fans of Sinatra and 1940s popular music.



3. The 1994 edition of FRANK SINATRA * THE V-DISCS is the original long box format that would get an inferior redesign four years later. If you're interested at all in early Sinatra, the one that has a cover close-up of Frank with an NBC mike is the keeper. The reason: that long box album accomodates a gorgeous thirty page book, while the scaled back 1998 reissue sacrifices much of what was in that booklet.
   
   Sound quality of these rare early '40s V-Discs is darn good, and young Frank really turned out some fine sides for our fighting men overseas. Guest stars include Dinah Shore, Tommy Dorsey and the Pied Pipers. Contains six previously unreleased tracks-- this is the complete V-Discs sessions! If you love Frank, THE V-DISCS is essential to your collection. Highest recommendation.
   
   TOTAL RUNNING TIMES --
   DISC ONE --
   DISC TWO -- 74:26



4. Sinatra still has detractors who, whatever their actual reasons, choose to impugn his vocal quality. But more disturbing are the Sinatra defenders who casually accept and dismiss criticisms of the voice, insisting that phrasing and emotion are what count. In a way, they're right, but the sum effect is regrettable if Old Blue's singing comes to be seen as all about "attitude" rather than vocal production.

   If any one has doubts about the quality of his instrument, listen to "If You Are But a Dream"--or better yet, "Where Is My Bess." Both are all-out, impassioned performances in which nothing can be held back or covered up. The musical weight is entirely on the quality of that "bel canto" voice and the forcefulness of its underlying breath stream. Even Caruso and Pavarotti would have to stand back.




5. I am one of a very few who do not particularly care for Sinatra's work with Columbia, Reprise and such. My favorite Sinatra is the music he made with The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra from 1940 - 1942 (See "The Song is You" boxed set). I also love the first recordings that Frank made in 1939 with The Harry James Orchestra (also available on disc). However, the material on this cd is beautiful. It is a wonderful bridge between Frank with Tommy Dorsey and the Frank Sinatra that is mostly played on radio. This collection is obviously historic for it features songs that Frank would never record again (with the exception of one or two). It is also historic in the fact that these recordings were not meant for the public. They were part of special albums that were shipped to our service men and women overseas, so, for the first time in over 50 years these recordings are for public consumption. I would advise any Sinatra fan -- casual or serious -- or any collector of war era music to get this collection.

No comments about Ten Percent Revue.

1 comments about Kurt Weill in America.

1. Andrea Marcovicci's unique stylings don't exactly blend with her co-stars who are all cabaret/musical theatre pros. Other than that, I found the CD to be very entertaining and to include several songs which are not well known. I found it a worthy addition to my showtune recording collection.

5 comments about The Stephen Schwartz Album.

1. I am so sad that this title is unavailable new at this time, because it really is a gem. I found this on a whim and I am glad I did. In listening to it for the first time, I couldn't help but listen to it again, and again--three times in a row! I can see myself listening to it over and over as such, and there was no track I didn't enjoy. I am glad that this compilation was done in 1999 when "Wicked" didn't exist....it gives his other wonderful works a chance to shine, whereas now everything would be overshadowed by "Wicked" (which, by the way, I do enjoy). The vocals on this CD are amazing and I was introduced to some singers I really enjoyed like Christiane Noll and Larua Benanti that I had heard before but never really appreciated. I am now interested to pick up more works by all of these performers. This CD is great by itself, but it has also lead me to find new prospective favorite vocalists. If you can find it, please do pick it up! Worth every penny!



2. It's very rare when I find a compilation CD in which I like every song presented. Stephen Schwartz is brilliant! I love everything he does. This CD best represents his wide range of musical talent, including his surprisingly good vocals on the song Fathers and Sons which he performs excellently. I never knew he could sing! Highlight songs for me are the magnificent yet tender Lion Tamer by the always amazing Kristin Chenoweth, the wonderful rendition of Meadowlark by Susan Egan (I love her!) with its subtle, beautiful lyrics, the utterly fantastic duet In Whatever Time We Have, and my personal favorite: Dorothy Loudon's sassy version of No Time At All in which she owns the stage. The Disney songs sung by different performers is also a treat, Out There being a real stand out from what was [and still is] an overlooked movie. It's just too bad this CD was released before Wicked came out so it doesn't include any songs from that show. But be sure to check out Wicked for some more Stephen Schwartz (and what I feel is one of his best works).



3. The work of the brilliant Stephen Schwartz is celebrated on this enjoyable compilation CD. Stand-out tracks include Laura Benanti's vibrant rendition of "Beautiful City/Day By Day" from GODSPELL, Alice Ripley's phenomenal "West End Avenue" from THE MAGIC SHOW, and Susan Egan's soaring performance of the powerful "Meadowlark" from THE BAKER'S WIFE. The CD also features the talents of Broadway newcomers of veterans alike - the seasoned Dorothy Loudon, THE FULL MONTY star Emily Skinner, Tony winner Kristin Chenoweth, the husband and wife team of Marin Mazzie and Jason Daniely, and the famed composer himself. The reason I have this CD 4 stars was due to the poor arrangement of "Corner of the Sky" - normally a powerful song, hear it simply drags. Still, one track should not discourage anyone from purchasing this incredible collection of the some of the best songs ever written.



4. This CD is one of the best compilations I have ever heard. Not only are all of the artists stars in their own right, but you know most of the songs already without hearing them. You know "Beautiful City" and "Day by Day" from "Godspell", you know "Corner of the Sky" from Pippin, your kids introduced you to "Colors of the Wind" from "Pocahontas", "Out There" from "Hunchback of Notre Dame", and "When You Believe" from "The Prince of Egypt". Get the picture? There are also some gems that are not quite as well known but are certainly just as good. Songs like "In Whatever Time We Have" from "Children of Eden" and two songs, "Chanson" and "Meadowlark" both of whom I enjoyed so much that I went out and bought the cast album of the show that they came from ("The Baker's Wife"). This is one of my favorite albums and, if you are like me, it is one that will not be far away from your CD player. Enjoy!



5. Varese Sarabande has a wonderful history of compilation albums of Broadway composers. Sadly, Varese Sarabande itself is now history (but look for Bruce Kimmel, VS producer, and his new label, Fynsworth Alley). While many of Kimmel's albums are noteworthy, none quite reach the heights attained by the Stephen Schwartz album. Nearly every song on this wonderful CD is perfect. I specifically enjoyed Christiane Noll's incredible version of "Just Around the Riverbend" from Pocahontas, Jason Danieley's impressive "Out There" from the Hunchback of Notre Dame, and Marin Mazzie's beautiful medley "With You/Gifts of Love." On the whole, this CD is a winner, from the performers to the musical arrangements. And special credit must be given to the CDs tributee, Stephen Schwartz, for writing such beautiful music and lyrics.

2 comments about Lullaby of Broadway: The Music of Harry Warren.

1. Mention Harry Warren at a social gathering of music fans and you're likely to get a lot of blank stares. Unfortunately, although Warren was a prolific composer of music, he never got the recognition he was so worthy of receiving. One listen to this album and you'll be convinced that Harry Warren was a genius and one of the best writers of all time.
   
   The CD has so many terrific numbers I scarcely know which ones to mention as true highlights! There are two very solid numbers with Carmen Miranda; she sings "I Yi, Yi, Yi, Yi, I Like You Very Much" with an excellent Latin style arrangement using the guitars, percussion and more; and Carmen does a great job singing "The Man With The Lollipop Song." I'm sure that you will enjoy these classic hits.
   
   Other wildly popular numbers also come to mind. Listen for Bing Crosby to sing a sublime rendition of "I Found A Million Dollar Baby" that uses the brass well; and "September In The Rain" by Cyril Grantham with Geraldo and his Orchestra is simply stunning. I was particularly moved by the poignant beauty of "September In The Rain;" the strings and horns work wonders for this number.
   
   Another huge plus for this album is that we get three private recordings of Al Jolson singing "I Only Have Eyes For You" with a beautiful orchestral accompaniment; "About A Quarter To Nine" and "She's A Latin From Manhattan." Awesome!
   
   The liner notes are in a small booklet that has an informative essay by Tony Watts; and we get recording dates for each track, too.
   
   My only complaint is that most of these tracks were recorded directly from old 78s and therefore we get a fair amount of surface noise on most of these tracks. I wish they had remastered at least some of these numbers. Sigh.
   
   In short, Lullaby Of Broadway: The Music Of Harry Warren is an excellent retrospective album of just some of Harry Warren's greatest art. I highly recommend this for fans of music from the 1930s and 1940s; and fans of the movies these numbers come from will also enjoy this CD.



2. Harry Warren (born Salvatore Anthony Guaragna) was one of the greatest songwriters of the 20th century. He wrote approximately 850 songs between 1922 and 1981 of which roughly 150 are now standards. In his lifetime there were 220 hit records of his songs, 42 of which were in the top 10, 21 of which were number 1 on Your Hit Parade.
   
   He wrote the music for 42d Street, for the Goldigger movies, for the Harvey Girls, and Shangri-La, among many others. Among his great songs are "The More I See You", "Atchison Topeka and the Santa Fe", "Shadow Waltz", "At Last", "Chattanooga Choo Choo", "Lullaby of Broadway". There's no way to list all his great songs in this brief space.
   
   Unfortunately, while Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, Harold Arlen, and George Gershwin receive numerous collections and books, Harry Warren seems to be forgotten. Many of his songs are still regularly recorded and performed, but if you put his name into the Amazon search engine, you'll find surprisingly few collections.
   
   I bought this collection, because I love the music. Unfortunately, the songs on this CD are transfers from the old movies and the sound quality is terrible. The performances are also typical of old movie performances - they don't really showcase the music. I'm glad that there are at least a couple of collections like this one. I think Harry Warren should be remembered as a great popular song composer.
   
   In the end I don't find this collection satisfying. If you are really interested in Harry Warren's music you don't have a lot of alternative choices except to pull the recordings from hundreds of other albums that have a few of his songs on them.
   
   So far, the best Warren retrospective that I've heard is George Roumanis's "Swing Here and Now." However, the arrangements are very modern (I think they are good but modern) and the playing is lackluster. If you want more of Warren as traditionally performed you are stuck with CDs like this one of which there are all too few.

No comments about Windy City.

5 comments about It Ain't Nothin But the Blues.

1. i saw this show, with several members of the original broadway cast, in september, 2000 in grand rapids, mi. it was fantastic and much better than anticipated; it is a review in the style of "smokey joe's cafe" and may have a tie-in to that show. i liked this one better. one song followed another and the big photos shown as background gave a poignancy and sense of history to the whole thing. it started out with old african songs and chants and one song followed another for a good two hours and it should have ended with the rousing version of "good night irene." it ended with a bizarre song, billie holiday's strange fruit," and then a train of freedom type song, the low key, feel good "members only." the latter is on the album and comes off well.

   my only criticism of the album echoes another, earlier one -- too many songs from the show are left off the cd. i would rather they put out a two or even three cd version and included more songs. it would be worth the money to get all the songs. the ones they picked are good, but they left off quite a few of the raunchier, blatantly sexual blues, such as the cutesy good girl/bad girl song and the crotch-grabbing king snake song, and the appalachian ones and the patsy kline tribute, which may not sound like the typical black blues, but they are tied in nicely, and gave them a way to get a white guy up there... I guess phenom johnny lang was originally on broadway in this and no one can touch him on blues guitar these days.

   we bought the cd ... and when i played it i was struck by the great sound. it is from a live show, with clapping and comments and is crystal clear, both vocals and instrumental backup. again, "good night irene" rocks out and will get you going. my only picky criticism of the songs on the cd and in the show is that they should have put more oomph into "st. louis blues," and done it as a group ensemble, building to a more raucous finish, as on the louis armstrong plays w.c handy album. it is too restrained, but maybe that is how bessie smith originally did it. "fever" worked perfectly in a restrained, controlled, smolderingly sensuous delivery.

   the voices all were strong and the heavy-set guy who was sort of the the leader of the ensemble stole the show. the guitar playing white guy in back was slick and great on "good night irene." the guy who wrote the show is a dead ringer for redd foxx, albeit with shoulder length hair and overalls, and the three female vocalists are foxes who will knock your socks off. everybody has a strong broadway, jazz or blues pedigree and there is not a weak voice in the show. the saxaphone and keyboards that come in occasionally help capture the bluesy mood.

   i recommend you buy this album; it will be money well spent. if you are not a blues brother or sister, you will be one after you listen to this. it has it all -- old african; gospel; howlin' blues' chicago blues; and modern, glitzed up blues. contrary to one of the songs, the thrill is not gone... if you buy this album, it won't be gone for you either.




2. I had the pleasure of attending a performance of the touring company and loved every minute of it. Unfortunately the "original cast" recording does'nt (Live performance low audio quality) match the current casts performance level. A lot of the music is missing.



3. After seeing the show, I was eager for the CD to come out, but many of the songs are missing and the gaps that creates is noticeable. The show is a history of blues and all the songs should have been included. What is there is fabulous, but too little for such a compilation of blues music.



4. In one word, spectacular. Unfortunately, this musical never got the true attention it deserved during and after it's broadway run. Sickness of cast members and a highly-publicised snubbing by the Tony Awards have conspired to keep this most original musical from us, and thank the Gods of Blues in Heaven (Or Chicago, depending if Blues is your religion, and it just may be after listening to this CD) that the original cast recording, starring Ron Taylor and so many other Blues greats has come to CD. "It Ain't Nothin' But the Blues" traces the evolution of Blues music from Africa and Slavery days to the present day. I was fortunate enough (by what can only be interpreted as an act of fate) to see this show before it went to Broadway, at the Lyceum Theatre in San Diego, California, and even though I was skeptical at the beginning of the night, by the end of it, I was singing the blues!

   I'll state that I am a person that people would least expect to like Blues music, and until I saw this musical, I had no real conscious desire to listen to any. This musocal made me an instant convert. It is so good that in just two hours I had discovered by soul and by the last song I was singing along with everyone else in the theatre.

   I'd recommend this CD to anybody wanting to expand their musical palette, and it's a great introduction to blues music. Since you get to listen to it from the beginning of its roots you develop an understanding of the music that is better than just putting on a Blues CD from the present and pressing play.

   Want more? How about B.B. King? Jonny Lang? Buddy Guy? The best part of it all is that the lead singer and co-creator of the musical is "Bleeding Gums Murphy" Himself, Ron Taylor.

   Buy this now and let the good times roll!




5. Before you buy this CD, I feel obligated to let you know that IT AIN'T NOTHIN' BUT THE BLUES isn't your average Broadway style musical. If you're looking for showstopping chorus numbers, you'd best stick to CABARET or JEKYLL & HYDE; this show had a grand total of 7 cast members. It's also not the typical boy-meets-girl narrative of so many shows, either. Instead, it's a history of the blues.

   That being said, there is some GREAT music to be found on this disc. The songs go all the way back to African tribal chants, includes a sampling of the songs slaves sung in the fields, and gradually makes its way up to a form that is now recognized as the Blues. Some great talent is asked to help out on this record -- Taj Mahal, BB King, Jonny Lang, and others.

   One final thing: do not just listen to this CD on your stereo system. It doubles as a CD-rom with a fascinating half-hour A/V presentation on the history of Blues, narrated by Whoopi Goldberg and Taj Mahal. IT AIN'T NOTHIN' BUT THE BLUES, while not synonymous with the great Broadway shows, is a musical history lesson of the highest regard.

1 comments about Cole Sings Porter.

1. This CD features demos of songs from two Cole Porter shows. They feature Cole Porter himself singing and playing piano with no other instruments. The sound quality is not great, but it is listenable. It sounds like scratchy old records, which it is actually what it was recorded from. Cole sings his songs in a effete voice, he is a decent but unexciting singer. The only well known song here is "I Love Paris", which is from Can-Can. The rest of the songs from Can-Can feature Cole's usual clever wordplay. There are also five songs that were written for Can-Can, but didn't make it into the show. The songs from Jubilee don't include the biggest hit from the show, "Begin the Beguine". The Jubilee songs aren't as clever as the the Can-Can songs, but they are still better than most songs by other songwriters. I would recommend this CD for hardcore Cole Porter fans only. There are better recordings of these songs by better singers with better orchestration.

2 comments about The Fantasticks(Karaoke).

1. This CD is nearly perfect. A lot of the Karaoke/Accompaniment Cd's aren't that good. I think because of the nature of this musical (the fact that most of the music is just piano), it was easy to produce as a karaoke/accompaniment. Of course, the example vocalists aren't increible. If you want incredible examples of vocalists buy the original cast album. If you want good backing tracks--buy this album! But seriously--I think you should buy both!



2. While some of the artist voices on this compilation are not neccessarily ones that you would like to imitate (read: they are not the best sounding), this is a wonderful set of karaoke tracks. It remains true to the original simple piano instrumentation and is perfect for those who need recorded music for performances. Also, it will be difficult to find a better karaoke collection of The Fantasticks for a lower price.

2 comments about The Songs of Sam Coslow: Cocktails for Two.

1. It's quite a feat to be able to present a songwriter's portfolio using the original singers who recorded the songs.



2. Compared to the Golden Age of Song reputations of Irving Berlin, Rodgers & Hart, Cole Porter and the Gershwin's and their identifiable popular catalogues, Sam Coslow's song-writing status has somewhat faded into the mists of time and he is now recalled as somewhat second league. However, Coslow was a prodigious contributor to Hollywood's early musicals and provided TRUE BLUE LOU, IF YOU CAN'T SING IT, YOU'LL HAVE TO SWING IT (MR PAGANINI) and I'M IN LOVE WITH THE HONORABLE MR SO-AND-SO as enduring songs. Surprisingly, he failed to crack the Broadway stage musical/revue to any extent and generally provided numerous popular hits until the 50's when he moved to London to undertake a similar movie function before he died in 1982.
   
   Therefore this excellent collection serves as a pleasant reminder of Coslow's extensive body of work which with his collaborators included songs which became early hits for the upcoming Bing Crosby who naturally provides JUST ONE MORE CHANCE, LEARN TO CROON, THANKS and THE DAY YOU CAME ALONG for this collection. Covering the years 1928-1947, it's a joy to hear crisp and clear recordings by largely forgotten names like Annette Hanshaw (MOON SONG), Valaida Snow (SING YOU SINNERS) and Carl Brisson (COCKTAILS FOR TWO) with that latter number perhaps not surviving it's 1944 parody slaughter by Spike Jones and his City Slickers. Familiar vocalists - amongst them Dick Haymes (JE VOUS AIME), Margaret Whiting (BEWARE MY HEART), Maurice Chevalier (SWEEPIN' THE CLOUDS AWAY), Connee Boswell (IN THE MIDDLE OF A KISS) and last but not least Noel Coward (FARE THEE WELL) also contribute unfamiliar numbers with sometime singer Coslow himself providing the vocals for LAY YOUR HEAD ON MY SHOULDER, DEAR.
   
   Revealing many surprises, it can be argued this overview is well worth its weight in nostalgic musical gold considering the somewhat neglected standing of Sam Coslow and with excellent remastering, informative notes and discography adding quality, this compilation is highly recommended.