Sings Ballads and Blues

Sings Ballads and Blues

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
From the opening notes of "Santy Anno," it's easy to hear how Odetta's singing inspired Bob Dylan to trade in his electric guitar for an acoustic and start playing folk music. Her deep, rich voice, captured here in its prime, has the power and expression of Ma Rainey or (dare we say it?) Bessie Smith. This CD reissue of Sings Ballads and Blues, Odetta's debut, makes her earliest recording available for a whole new generation. Odetta's expressive range was impressive even at the time of this recording, made when she was 25. She could be slow and sad ("If I Had a Ribbon Bow," "'Buked and Scorned") or uptempo and dramatic ("Santy Anno," "Been in the Pen"). "God's Gonna Cut You Down" is especially indicative of her dynamic control, as she goes from just above a whisper to an almost-shout with ease. Though Odetta is primarily thought of as a folk singer, there's no question that she was influenced by early women blues singers as well as acoustic blues players such as Leadbelly. And her influence, both in folk and blues, is considerable. As a most obvious example, one can hear echoes of her "Easy Rider" in the version later recorded by Janis Joplin. --Genevieve Williams

From the Label
In 1956, when Odetta's first album, SINGS BALLADS AND BLUES, appeared on the shelves it was an instant classic--solidifying the tradition and bringing it to new places as well with originality and deep emotion. Odetta's renditions of folk standards were a powerful inspiration for many; especially important was her influence on the next generation that was about to change the face of folk. One such convert was Bob Dylan, as quoted above. From the original liners, Dean Gitter announced "A magnificent new voice is here to sing the old songs. It belongs to a woman whom we believe to be the queen of American folksingers... Her name is Odetta, and like everything else about this remarkable personality, it is unusual." The Tradition reissue of this album includes the complete liner notes by Producer Dean Gitter. The mastertapes were sonically cleansed and digitally remastered for this release.

Tracks:

Do I Move You?
Day And Night
In The Dark
Real Real
My Man's Gone Now
Backlash Blues
I Want A Little Sugar In My Bowl
Buck
Since I Fell For You
The House Of The Rising Sun
Blues For Mama
Do I Move You? (Second Version)
Whatever I Am (You Made Me)

Customer Reviews:

Wow!.......2007-06-22

This is my introduction to Nina Simone. I heard "Do I Move You" in the 4th season sound track of The L word. I have heard of Nina Simone, but never really bothered to check her out, but I really liked "Do I Move You, " such a cool song, so I decided to buy this CD. It is awesome. I think is it a perfect intro to a great singer. Her voice is so distinct that it can never be copied, and her styling and phrasing is deep. "In the Dark" & "I Want a Little Sugar in My Bowl," are absolute gems, but the CD overall is excellent. My only complaint is the measly 38 minutes, I think there could have been more songs added, but other than that it's a good CD for starters.

Not even close to being a complete overview.......2007-05-14

While I agree with the reviewer who criticized the album for its short length, I dislike this album primarily because of the selections. In her liftetime, Nina Simone recorded many blues songs, only a mediocre handful of which are represented here. However, there are a few gems, such as "I Want a Little Sugar in My Bowl" and 'House of the Rising Sun" and "Do I Move You?." Only buy if you can get it for under 5 dollars.

Great Album!.......2007-05-13

Short on time. Just trying to offset a lone reviewer who gave this one star! Yes, this is a short album, but there's no filler. My favorite of Nina's albums.

ONLY 38 MINUTES OF MUSIC!.......2007-05-10

This CD is a rip off. Only 38 minutes of music. Furthermore, only half of the songs are worth listening to. Save your money and buy "Nina Simone's Finest Hour" or the two disc "Anthology" CD set.

Average customer rating:

One of the finest albums you'll ever own....
Great replacement for my scratchy original!
Loved it as a kid!
Josh at Midnight - a great album

Josh at Midnight: Sings Ballads & Blues
Josh White
Manufacturer: Collectables
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Blues | Styles | Music

Traditional Blues | Blues | Styles | Music

General | Blues | Indie Music | Stores | Music
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Josh White Sings The Blues & Sings Volumes 1 & 2
Free & Equal Blues
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The Elektra Years
The Best of Josh White

ASIN: B00006IT4W
Release Date: 2002-09-10

Tracks:

St. James Infirmary
Raise A Rukus
Scandalize My Name
Jesus Gonna Make Up My Dyin' Bed
Timber (Jerry The Mule)
Jelly, Jelly!
One Meat Ball
Joshua Fit The Battle Of Jericho
Don't Lie Buddy
Number Twelve Train
Peter
Takin' Names
Midnight Special
Miss Otis Regrets
Helleleu
Woman Sure Is A Curious Critter
Prison Bound Blues
Gloomy Sunday
Ball And Chain Blues
One For My Baby
Jim Crow Train
Told My Captain
So Soon In The Mornin'
Bury My Body

Album Description

Full title - Josh At Midnight/Ballads & Blues. Josh White greatly impacted the American music scene by introducing African-American Folk, Blues and Spirituals to a wider audience. These two original rare albums, from the vaults of Elektra Records, feature 'St. James Infirmary', 'Gloomy Sunday' and his most famous song 'One Meat Ball'. 2002.

Customer Reviews:

One of the finest albums you'll ever own...........2007-06-08

Josh White holds a unique place in the world of American folk music and blues. Like Harry Belafonte, he reached across the lines of race and had an enormous following among music lovers from many different backgrounds. As a former Chicagoan living in Mississippi the past 18 years, I'm shocked how few people know the music of Josh White, even though he was from South Carolina and was certainly well rooted in Southern Blues and folk music.

Instead of repeating what is often written about his politics, his civil rights work, his move to Europe and his difficulty during the McCarthy era, I want to share with readers what I know about his music, his artistry, and this particular album. Of all the available Josh White recordings, Josh at Midnight is the finest recording ever done by this great artist. It is impeccably recorded, perhaps influenced by his friendship with and admiration for Richard Dyer Bennet, who set very high standards for the sound quality of his recordings. Many of Josh White's albums are diminished in quality due to poor recording and production techniques.

On this album, White is joined by his good friend and frequent singing partner, a great bass/baritone by the name of Sam Gary. The interplay between White's tenor voice and Gary's booming bass voice is magnificent. Also on the album is upright bass player Al Hall, who provides a great rhythmic counterpoint to Josh White's brilliant guitar playing. There is simply no one today who plays the guitar with the unique style that White developed. The combination of these two great voices and two superb instrumentalists make for a spectacular album.

I have collected all kinds of recorded music seriously for 30 years, in many different genres, but Josh at Midnight is one of the 10 or 15 greatest albums I have ever had the honor of listening to. It has had lasting power for over thirty years of listening, and the CD gives the music lover a chance to own this great album
in flawless condition.

Josh White - you were brillant, warm and a great artist. May you rest in peace. Thank you for the great music.

Gary Silber Jackson, MS

Great replacement for my scratchy original!.......2004-09-19

If you've never heard Josh White before, and your taste veers toward folk blues and maybe a hint of jazz, you're in for a treat in this collection.

Josh's style falls somewhere between Mississippi John Hurt and Nat King Cole, having elements and sensibilities of both, but he sings from the heart here and makes the music uniquely his own. This CD is a good example of his work - he had good energy here, and he's in great company - the musicians accompanying him feed the fire with good chemistry.

These were both recorded monaurally in New York (Bleecker Street, to be exact) for release on Elektra Records. "Midnight" was the second release ever for that fledgeling label. There is some distortion on the louder passages, and a minor amount of hiss, from the original tape - there's been no attempt to sonically restore these recordings. As a result you're getting all of the original sound - some attempts at audio de-hissing can do more harm than good, so these recordings are probably better off for not being tampered with.

This reissue was a double treat for me since the second LP featured ("Josh White Sings Ballads and Blues") is one I've never seen for sale anywhere. It has similar audio quality and spirit to the first, with the added presence of Sonny Greer (Duke Ellington's drummer).

Got my first copy of the LP "Josh at Midnight" in the mid 70s, at a thrift store for 25 cents - best two bits I ever spent. Most other albums would have been unlistenable in the shape that record was in, worn and scratched as it was, but I played it dozens of times listening past the noise. Thanks to this reissue, I don't have to listen past the noise anymore - I can just enjoy the music!

Loved it as a kid!.......2003-03-13

...Josh White sings and plays folk guitar, accompanied by only an upright bass and a wonderful bass vocalist (who may also be the bass player, it's been years since I've seen the album). Josh's voice is very expressive and powerful, but also friendly and intimate. His music roots comes from the country and old south- and you won't hear more authentic folk music than this- but you'll also hear the late-night urban life in it as well.

The tunes run from the lamenting ("St. James Infirmiry") to the humorous and upbeat ("One Meat Ball" and "Raise a Rukus"). St. James Infirmiry may be one of the most-covered blues tunes in the world, but Josh White's version is about the best I've heard.

I don't know if I have the experience or authority to call this an archetypal or landmark album, but compared to any hokey camp-fire "folk" album, this has the redolent atmosphere of the real thing. It'll grab you.

By the way, the name of this album is "Josh at Midnight", not "Jose at Midnight...

--Stu

Josh at Midnight - a great album.......2003-03-06

Back in the 60s, my parents had "Josh at Midnight" on vinyl when I was a kid. It was one of my favorite albums. I've been dying to get a copy of it since I first discovered that our copy was missing.

On this album Mr. White sings and plays guitar in a lovely and friendly way-- his voice is very expressive--, and is accompanied by accoustic bass and an incredible baritone harmonizer, who may be the bass player. I don't know, because I bought the CD with free delivery and I don't have it, yet. The songs range from the tragic (St. James Infimery) to the humorous and lively (One Meat Ball, and Raise a Rukus). Also, much of America's history is tied to the songs Josh White sang.

Tracks:

All Of You - Annie Ross
Always True Yo You In My Fashion - Peggy Lee
Anything Goes - Tony Bennett
Begine The Beguine - Gordon MacRae
Blow, Gabriel, Blow - Martha Tilton
Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye - June Christy
From Now On - Peggy Lee
I Get a Kick Out Of You - Chris Connor
I Happen To Like New York - Judy Garland
In The Still Of The Night - Helen O'Connell
It's All Right With Me - Dinah Shore
I've Got You Under My Skin - Louis Prima & Keely Smith
Just One Of Those Things - Nat King Cole
Looking At You - Liza Minnelli
Miss Otis Regrets (She Is Unable To Have Lunch...) - Francis Faye
So In Love - John Raitt
True Love - Dean Martin
What Is This Thing Called Love - Keely Smith
Why Shoudn't I - Margaret Whiting
Wunderbar - Jo Stafford & Gordon Macrae
You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To - Nancy Wilson
You're The Top - Jean Turner
Let's Do It (Let's Fall In Love) - Trudy Richards
Get Out Of Town - Jeri Southern
You Do Something To Me - The Andrew Sisters

Customer Reviews:

Not bad, but not great.......2007-04-10

The 25 tracks on this CD have exactly one thing that binds them together: all the songs were written (both words and music) by Cole Porter. Some of the singers doing the songs were very well-known artists, others were obscure ones I never heard of. Most of the songs have become standards, but a couple are quite obscure. Most of the recordings were made in the 1950s, but not quite all of them. Most are taken from albums, but at least one is shown as "previously unreleased" on the liner notes. And the styles range from quite jazzy to almost operatic. So this is a very mixed bag.

It should be noted that some of the artists (such as Tony Bennett and Dinah Shore) are represented with recordings made after their primes, as they are best known in work for other record companies, and only recordings for Capitol (or other companies that Capitol took over) are included.

But although there is a variation in all these factors, most, perhaps all, sounded decent to me. Not great, but certainly good.

Disappointed.......2006-11-05

After seeing the motion picture "De-Lovely" and reading several Cole Porter bio's, I eagerly anticipated listening to "Capitol Sings Cole Porter: Anything Goes". Although the Capitol CD contains many more selections by competent, well known artists, I much prefer listening to the CD from the soundtrack of the movie. The "Capitol Sings..." arrangements are slick, but to my ear the De-Lovely arrangements are more wonderfully crafted and have a much more sensuous, emotional quality, even when sung by non-singers Kevin Kline and Ashley Judd. Diana Krall's interpretation of "Begin the Beguine", along with the gorgeous minor key accompaniment, is worth the ownership of the CD alone. I find it to be nothing less than thrilling, no matter how often one listens. I gave my "Capitol Sings..." CD away.

A disappointing "Greatest".......2006-03-20

This sterling line-up of songs by the witty tunesmith Cole Porter, as interpreted by some of the 20th-century's greatest singer/performers - Tony Bennett, Peggy Lee, Judy Garland, Nat King Cole, etc. - is surprisingly dull. Very little information accompanies the CD, and I suspect many of the numbers were recorded in mono, which might account for the weak stereo sound "enhanced" by digital technology.

Or maybe Capital was forcing the singers to complete contracts. I found the recently released soundtrack for Delovely, a bad bio-pic about Porter, far more enjoyable and it features a cast of some of the best singers of the early 21st century.

PORTER DONE RIGHT.......2005-08-17

THIS CD IS EXACTLY WHAT I WANTED, COLE PORTER SUPERBLY TREATED BY VARIOUS ARTISTS.

~"You're The Top" Cole Porter~Awesome Selections!!!~.......2004-08-30

Romantic, rhythmic, sophisicated and incredibly brilliant are the classic works of 20th Century legendary composer Cole Porter who is represented here by an impressive array of Capitol recordings artists. The smooth sophisicated swing of "All Of You" kick off a program of greatly diverse and fascinating performances and always true to her legendary fashion is a superb Peggy Lee while Tony Bennett does a stunning "Anything Goes" with Count Basie. "I Happen To Like New York" smolders and soars with the haunting intensity of a soulful Judy Garland vocal that is a truly stunning masterpiece!!! A mesmerizing Nancy Wilson vocal make "You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To" a memorable listening experience and this collection is a keeper for those who love the finest songs and singers that music has to offer. Thanks to Cole Porter and all those great Capitol Recording Artists for making this great collection possible...highly recommended!!!!!!!

Average customer rating:

The Same Lady Sings the Blues
Relax with the Ladies!
nice
Excellent Sound Nostalgia
This Lady is no Tramp...

Lady Sings the Blues
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Capitol
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Classic Female Vocal Blues | Blues | Styles | Music

General | Blues | Styles | Music

Traditional Blues | Blues | Styles | Music

General | Compilations | Blues | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Traditional Jazz General | Traditional Jazz & Ragtime | Jazz | Styles | Music

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Lady Sings the Blues, Vol. 2
Torch Songs
Sirens of Song: Classic Torch Singers
Torch Songs
Great Ladies Sing the Blues

ASIN: B00008J2K1
Release Date: 2003-03-25

Tracks:

Key Largo - Sarah Vaughn
Solitude - Ella Fitzgerald
Embraceable You - Dianne Reeves
Don't Go To Strangers - Etta James
Call Me - Della Reese
I'm Just A Lucky So And So - Diana Krall
Call Me Irresponsible - Dinah Washington
Something Cool - June Christy
You Go To My Head - Keely Smith
The Very Thought Of You - Nancy Wilson
My Funny Valentine - Dinah Shore
It Had To Be You - Kay Starr
One For My Baby - Rosemary Clooney
I'll Be Seeing You - Peggy Lee

Tracks:

Here's That Rainy Day - Peggy Lee
Stormy Weather - Sarah Vaughn
In A Sentimental Mood - Dianne Reeves
They Can't Take That Away From Me - Diana Krall
Body And Soul - Etta James
Someday My Prince Will Come - Cassandra Wilson
More Than This - Charlie Hunter
The Thrill Is Gone - Patricia Barber
You've Changed - Nancy Wilson
Cry Me A River - Julie London
Don't Explain - June Christy
Lover Man (Oh Where Can You Be?) - Rosemary Clooney
I Wish You Love - Keely Smith
We'll Be Together Again - Lena Horne

Amazon.com

We've called them torch singers, divas, chanteuses, and the First Ladies of American Song. And as the contemporary, Grammy-bedecked ascent of Norah Jones (who appears here with Charlie Hunter) attests, these ladies who sing the blues continue to reinterpret a tradition rooted in the blues, yet steeped in songcraft that spans jazz, pop, and even rock. This double-disc, 26-track collection spans a half-century-plus and offers up not only a tantalizing introduction to legends and pioneers (including Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Della Reese, Etta James, Lena Horne) and an equally rich body of song standards, but also chronicles how an originally largely black heritage in effect became the pop mainstream in the '40s and '50s (and beyond) via the work of singers like Dinah Shore, Kay Starr, June Christy, Peggy Lee and Julie London. It's also a testament to how vital that legacy remains, with Jones' own Brazilian-inflected cover of Bryan Ferry's "More Than This" and Patricia Barber's spare, sultry '90s read of "The Thrill Is Gone" but two strong examples of the set's expansive scope. It's a compelling sampler and the best kind of musical appetizer: One that leaves you craving more. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

The Same Lady Sings the Blues.......2004-05-04

Altho the disk spans 50 years of torch singing, it amazed me how all these ladies sound the same. Only Etta James stands out with some life in her voice, everyone else is so so smooth I lose track of who is singing.

Relax with the Ladies!.......2004-02-24

This is a very nice cd. The contributions by Norah Jones and Patricia Barber alone are well worth the price. Where is Tierney Sutton?!

nice.......2004-02-05

Wow these womens voice can sound as deep as the ocean to as high as the everlasting sky. Each song & singer is fantastic!

Excellent Sound Nostalgia.......2003-07-09

A Great Gift Album. At my tender age of 61 a family member ordered this album. The engineering is as smooth as the music; super sound and super stars. "New" pop, jazz, etc., have nothing to offer compared to those singing pioneers, who just became better and better with age. Anything else is just a mere copy of perfection. There isn't another Peggy Lee, who I heard on stage in the 1960s. She awed everyone with her love of music and a generous performance filled with so many encores for an audience with endless requests. All the Ladies on the album are the best singing so many "best" classics-all blues-of course!

This Lady is no Tramp..........2003-04-18

The fire of Etta James, the elegance, clarity and perfect pitch of Ella and the sophomoric verve of newcomer Norah Jones creates an amazing mosaic of the incredible history of women in jazz. I initially found myself trying to find a logical connection between the very diverse tracks and artists but resigned those analytical impulses to the emotion, truth and appeal of the CD. It somehow alludes the discombobulation of typical "best of" CD's but rather delivers a very fluid soundtrack feel. It seems to indirectly chronicle the struggle, tenacity and success of the best women in jazz; excellent production underscores the legendary tracks and voices.

Fascinatin' Rhythm: Capitol Sings George Gershwin

Average customer rating:

It's Gershwin Time
Great Gershwin CD!
Uneven, disappointing
Capitol's stars swing with the songs of George Gershwin

Fascinatin' Rhythm: Capitol Sings George Gershwin

Manufacturer: Capitol
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Traditional Blues | Blues | Styles | Music

Jump Blues | Blues | Styles | Music

Cool Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

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Puttin' on the Ritz: Capitol Sings Irving Berlin
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Capitol Sings Cole Porter: Anything Goes
And the Winner Is...Capitol Sings the Best Movie Songs
Sentimental Journey: Capitol's Great Ladies of Song, Vol. 2

ASIN: B00000DRCX
Release Date: 1992-02-25

Tracks:

Rhapsody In Blue - Freddy Martin & His Orchestra
A Foggy Day - Dorothy Donegan
But Not For Me - Margaret Whiting
Embraceable You - The Nat King Cole Trio
Fascinatin' Rhythm - Vic Damone
I Got Rhythm - Ann Richards
I'll Build A Stairway To Paradise - Liza Minnelli
It Ain't Necessarily So - Ella Mae Morse
Let's Call The Whole Thing Off - Marian McPartland
Nice Work If You Can Get It - Jeri Southern
Of Thee I Sing - The Andrews Sisters
'S Wonderful - Julie London
Someone To Watch Over Me - Jean Turner
Strike Up The Band - Tony Bennett
Summertime - Gordon MacRae
Swanee - Judy Garland
They All Laughed - Dakota Staton
They Can't Take That Away From Me - Peggy Lee
How Long Has This Been Goin' On - June Christy
That Certain Feeling - Jo Ann Greer
Who Cares (As Long As You Care For Me) - Kate Smith
I Got Plenty Of Nuttin' - Kenny Gardner
The Man I Love - Keely Smith
I've Got A Crush On You - Anna Maria Alberghetti

Customer Reviews:

It's Gershwin Time.......2007-01-13

Nice collection of music. Surprising how old recordings can be so update. I enjoyed it very much, but don't forget that I'n an early boomer.

Great Gershwin CD!.......2005-09-23

I have been a Gershwin fan since my father introduced me to George Gershwin's music, when I was very young. This CD greatly enhances my Gershwin collection!

Uneven, disappointing.......2003-01-03

I really wanted to like this CD. I have 'Capitol Sings Irving Berlin', which, although it has some disappointing tracks, is, overall, very enjoyable. But after listening to the Gershwin CD several times, I have to rate it as disappointing with just a few good tracks.

First of all: the first track, titled 'Rhapsody in Blue', isn't. It doesn't have the intro (famous clarinet solo); the entire first part of Gershwin's exciting piece is missing. What you have is a fragment of the work.

The tracks I enjoy include: Liza Minelli, with the best version of 'I'll Build A Stairway to Paradise' that I've ever heard, upbeat and swinging. Marian McPartland does a nice, jazzy, instrumental version of 'Let's Call the Whole Thing Off'. And June Christy's "How Long Has This Been Goin' On' makes me want to hear more of her.

But Vic Damone just ruins 'Fascinatin' Rhythm', taking all the syncopation (and all the life) out of the song. And I can't listen to the last track -- it's soooo bad.

Capitol's stars swing with the songs of George Gershwin.......2001-02-10

"Fascinatin' Rhythm," the Capitol Sings collection of George Gershwin tunes, begins with Freddy Martin and his Orchestra doing a version of "Rhapsody in Blue" to which you can swing your partner around the dance floor, perfectly capturing the charm of this series. Here are your favorite songs by our greatest composers often done in different ways from what you usually expect. But changing music style or tempo, adding percussions or strings, are what make these songs so enjoyable. Dorothy Donegan's "A Foggy Day" is a particularly jazzy version, but then Margaret Whiting's "But Not For Me" is big band style while Ann Richards does a very slow and sultry cover of "I Got Rhythm" (at least at the start). Sometimes the twist is that someone like Gordon MacRae sings "Summertime," a song he would certainly never get to do on stage in "Porgy & Bess" for a couple of rather obvious reasons. Like all the albums in this series, "Fascinatin' Rhythm" combines covers by big stars like Nat King Cole, Judy Garland, Tony Bennett and Peggy Lee with lesser known artists such as Keely Smith, Jo Ann Greer, Dakota Staton and Marian McPartland (I guess I would have to put Anna Marie Alberghetti in the middle on this one). My favorite track on this album would be Judy Garland's live version of "Swanee," but "They Can't Take That Away From Me" is certainly one of Peggy Lee's best efforts. "Fascinatin' Rhythm" may be well be the most female artist dominated disc in the Capitol Sings collection, which for my money only adds to its enjoyment.

Average customer rating:

painfully bad
Heartfelt
Queen of the folk blues remastered nicely

Sings Ballads and Blues
Odetta
Manufacturer: Empire Musicwerks
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Contemporary Blues | Blues | Styles | Music

General | Blues | Styles | Music

Traditional Blues | Blues | Styles | Music

General | Folk | Styles | Music

Traditional Folk | Folk | Styles | Music

Revival | Folk | Styles | Music
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The Essential Odetta
Odetta Sings Dylan
Tradition Masters
Looking for a Home
Absolutely the Best

ASIN: B0007CYEHQ
Release Date: 2005-02-01

Tracks:

Santy Anno
If I Had A Ribbon Bow
Muleskinner Blues
Aniother Man Done Gone
Shame And Scandal
Jack O' Diamonds
'Buked And Scorned
Easy Rider
Joshua
Hound Dog
Glory, Glory
Alabama Bound
Been In the Pen
Deep Blue Sea
God's Gonna Cut You Down
Spiritual Trilogy: Oh Freedom/Come And Go With Me/I'm On My Way
He's Got The Whole World In His Hands
Take This Hammer
Deep River
Chilly Winds

Customer Reviews:

painfully bad.......2006-08-25

I've been listening to Odetta occasionally for 35 years now, and I'm amazed how bad the music is. She's a triple-threat: can't sing, can't play the guitar, and has not a scrap of understanding of most of the songs. Her reputation is based on glowing second-hand reports from other 60's folkies. If you want to hear these songs performed with passion and skill, buy Harry Smith's Anthology of American Folk Music, or Mahalia Jackson's Greatest Hits. Odetta is strictly for crazy hippie-girl fanatics.

Heartfelt.......2005-05-07

This is high art crossed with superb performance and excellent production. Theatrical in ambition, beautifully produced recording. I presume Bill Lee is bassist here as he would be on the stereo Gate of Horn a year later, but he's down in the instrumental mix of this mono recording and the result is an integration of bass and guitar that is a much smoother sound than on the Gate of Horn recording. This has the quality, that nebulous magic that inspires emulation.

Queen of the folk blues remastered nicely.......2005-02-10

This is the original song order for those of you that remember the original 1958 LP with some added bonus cuts from 1960 (from the Gate Of Horn LP I believe)and it's got the original funky red cover. The bonus here is the nice remastering job - sounds as good as the original vinyl did way back when, but I guess that's the point in this respectful reissue. It's also got the original liner notes from the original LP and some new updated notes. Very nice package.

The Great Otis Redding Sings Soul Ballads

Average customer rating:

out standing a must for every otis redding fan
One of the best genuine "Soul" albums...
The original soul

The Great Otis Redding Sings Soul Ballads
Otis Redding
Manufacturer: Elektra / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | R&B | Styles | Music

General | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music

Southern Soul | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music

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The Otis Redding Dictionary Of Soul : Complete & Unbelievable
The Soul Album
Otis Blue: Otis Redding Sings Soul
Love Man
The Immortal Otis Redding

ASIN: B000002JO0
Release Date: 1991-06-11

Tracks:

That's How Strong My Love Is
Chained And Bound
A Woman, A Lover, A Friend
Your One And Only Man
Nothing Can Change This Love
It's Too Late
For Your Precious Love
I Want To Thank You
Come To Me
Home In Your Heart
Keep Your Arms Around Me
Mr. Pitiful

Customer Reviews:

out standing a must for every otis redding fan .......2006-03-10

this is a must for every otis fan, outstanding cd being missing from the collaction for a long time and know it here will enjoy every track,

One of the best genuine "Soul" albums..........2000-04-15

Recorded in 1965 when "soul", as opposed to R&B, Motown and gospel, was starting to develop its own identity, "The Great Otis Redding Sings Soul Ballads" set an early reference point for this new style of music.

While his next album - "Otis Blue" - was more polished, more commercial and more successful, this often overlooked record is in many ways much more staisfying. Redding's singing is quite stunning, with heart-rending deliveries that make you believe that he means what he says. And, the back up from Booker T, Steve Cropper and the Stax "house band" is consistently creative and incisive. Many of the arrangements used here became standard reference points for the flood of "soul" (or, more aptly, "not really soul") records that were to follow. But, while Sam Cooke and Ray Charles fans may argue, this was where it all came together for the first time in a glorious, unified whole.

While the subsequent soul standards - "Mr Pitiful" and "That's How Strong My Love Is" - provide the opening and closing bookends, it is the numbers in-between that make this album really stand-out. If "soul" is the ability to capture emotions through music then, here it is. The sparse, single note piano arrangement and desperate lyrics on "It's Too Late" are breath-taking - alongside Ray Charles' "Someday Baby" one of the saddest tracks ever made; if the joy of love's enfatuation is what you're looking for then "Your One And Only Man" has it; and, for believable pleading, then "Come To Me" has never been bettered.

There's no R&B and, with the exception of "Mr Pitiful" (despite the title), no dance records. What there is, is a genuinely painful heart and... that's what "soul" - a much maligned musical label - is in fact all about.

If you like the slower tracks on "Otis Blue" then buy this... it won't disappoint.

The original soul.......1999-01-18

I have been listeneng to this album since 1965 and I never tire of it. Why? "Nothing Can Change This Love" is possibly the best "soul" (not R&B, not blues, not urban, not gospel--but all of these together, and then some) song that was ever recorded. Otis's treatment of "Woman, Lover, Friend" will engage your blues sensibilities in new ways. "Home In Your Heart" will make you dance. "Keep Your Arms Around Me" will make you dance. Slowly. The soul music of Otis Redding journeys the peaks and valleys of life and speaks to them eloquently, if somewhat crudely. All the songs on this album are great. This is one CD that belongs in everyone's collection.

Save Your Love for Me: Nancy Wilson Sings the Great Blues Ballads

Average customer rating:

The Best!
A Great CD of Ballads
MORE SIXTIES...WHERE ARE NANCY'S CLASSIC 70'S???

Save Your Love for Me: Nancy Wilson Sings the Great Blues Ballads
Nancy Wilson
Manufacturer: Blue Note Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Guess Who I Saw Today: Nancy Wilson Sings Songs of Lost Love
The Great American Songbook
Lush Life
From Broadway with Love/Tender Loving Care
R.S.V.P. (Rare Songs, Very Personal)

ASIN: B000AHJ86A
Release Date: 2005-08-30

Tracks:

Save Your Love For Me
In The Dark
Don't Go To Strangers
This Bitter Earth
Willow Weep For Me
All Night Long
Gee Baby, Ain't I Good To You
Please Send Me Someone To Love
Just For A Thrill
Born To Be Blue
I Wanna Be Loved
Make Me A Present Of You
Blue Prelude
Since I Fell For You
Don't Take Your Love From Me

Customer Reviews:

The Best!.......2007-01-05

If you're looking for soft, romantic jazz...this is the one! My husband and I fell in love listening to it 38 years ago (on vinyl) and was so excited when I was able to find it on a CD. So, kick back with a glass of wine, turn the lights down low and enjoy!

A Great CD of Ballads.......2007-01-04

Nancy Wilson hits you with her all with this CD. I really love how she sings these ballads with tremendous feeling and ease.

MORE SIXTIES...WHERE ARE NANCY'S CLASSIC 70'S???.......2006-05-24

Make no mistake this is a wonderful release and does contain "Make Me A Present Of You" from the great unreleased to compact disc "Easy" which released in the late sixties features a beautifully maturing singer building up to the finest and most adventuresome recordings of her brilliant career in the seventies which all still (hopefully!) remain unreleased in the Capitol vaults...anyone left in The Capitol Tower have a clue what a unreleased treasure chest of classic and diverse performances this is...and if so what are they waiting for? Nancy Wilson started off the seventies with the classic Gamble/Huff produced "Now I'm A Woman" filled with great songs featuring magnificent and deeply soulful vocals...this release made me a serious fan for life and in concert Nancy Wilson is still stunning as recent as 2003 In Concert with Ramsey Lewis!!! Nancy continued through the seventies releasing one incredible classic after another ("I Know I Love Him" produced by The Crusaders with Joe Sample on keyboards is sublime!!) and these amazing treasures would make THE brilliant Box Set to end all Box Sets!!! Come on Capitol Records, wake up!!!!! No wonder the complaining music industry is in such a fiscal mess with oversights as blaring as this...these cry-baby complaints fall of deaf ears here...get with it!!!

Average customer rating:

Lady Sings the Blues, Vol. 2
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Capitol
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Lady Sings the Blues
Torch Songs
Sirens of Song: Classic Torch Singers
Torch Songs
Great Ladies Sing the Blues

ASIN: B0002MHEKU
Release Date: 2004-08-24

Tracks:

As Long As I Live - Diana Krall
I Wish I Didn't Love You So - Aretha Franklin
Victim of a Foolish Heart - Joss Stone
Rocky Mountain Blues - Billie Holiday
If You Could See Me Now - Peggy Lee
As Long As He Needs Me - Shirley Bassey
Moonglow - Sarah Vaughan
Here's That Rainy Day - Nancy Wilson
Comes Love - Dianne Reeves
You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To - Helen Merrill & Clifford Brown
Just Friends - Dinah Washington
What Is This Thing Called Love? - Keely Smith
Sentimental Journey - Kay Starr
Laura - Julie London
I Cried for You (Now It's Your Turn To Cry Over Me) - Sara Vaughan & Count Basie
I'm Thru With Love - Carmen McRae
Little Boy Lost - Cassandra Wilson & Jacky Terrasson
Summertime - Ella Fitzgerald
Walk On By - Dionne Warwick
Yesterday - Eva Cassidy

Bluella: Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Blues

Average customer rating:

ELLA IS FANTASTIC SINGING THE BLUES ON BLUELLA!
A Mature Ella at Her Best
Ella gets Bluesy

Bluella: Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Blues
Ella Fitzgerald
Manufacturer: Pablo
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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These Are the Blues
A Classy Pair
Barbara Morrison Live at the 9:20 Special
Ella & Duke at the Côte D'Azur
Ella & Basie

ASIN: B000000XLE
Release Date: 1996-12-03

Tracks:

Smooth Sailing
Duke's Place
St. Louis Blues
C-Jam Blues
Fine And Mellow
Happy Blues
Billie's Bounce
I'm Walkin'
Fine And Mellow
St. Louis Blues
Basella

Customer Reviews:

ELLA IS FANTASTIC SINGING THE BLUES ON BLUELLA!.......2002-10-26

Here is 63:33 of the best Blues ever recorded by the great Ella Fitzgerald!11 tunes recorded both live in concert & studio
settings capture this great songbird in a variety of 'deep blue' offerings. If you like 'hippity,bippity bop' stuff along with 'low
down gritty' stuff alongside some really 'smacking & jiving boogie' Blues in the 12 bar style you got 'em all here! "Happy Blues"
taken from the '74 live Ella In London (Pablo), "Fine And Mellow" taken from the '74 studio release Fine And Mellow
(Pablo) & the live version taken from the '79 Ella And Basie: A Perfect Match (Pablo) are enough to wallop you right solid
in the heart! On the live versions Ella cries the Blues something stinging! If you don't have the Blues now...You may after
hearing this CD! By the way "C-Jam" at 10:41 taken from the '72 Jazz At The Philharmonic:Jazz At The Santa Monica
Civic (Pablo) kills! This compilation features such Jazz greats as Count Basie, Joe Pass, Louis Bellson, Stan Getz & Herb Ellis
among others alongside Ella. Along with the superb liner notes & the great sonics thanks to all the material being digitally
remastered you cannot go wrong with this CD

A Mature Ella at Her Best.......2000-04-16

Ella's recordings amount to a virtual encyclopedia of American song. In "Bluella" she's at her 1970s earthy and humorous best. Singing with some of Jazz's hardest swingers, she makes the blues her own and shows her place as second to none in the presence of an astonishing array of male jazz talent, most of whom are all-star all stars. Here you have Ella and her remarkably happy blues, which the live audience understandably cannot resist. I promise you won't be able to concentrate on anything else while you listen to this music.

Ella gets Bluesy.......1999-03-09

You just can't go wrong with Ella; all her stuff is good. In this album, she gets bluesy-- but not blue. This album is an "up" album, like the rest of her work. But here she lets loose and does a lot of scat and vocalization. It is a good change of pace from her usual jazz standard mode.

Music Review:

Music Review

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