Eartha Kitt – Let´s Do I + Just An OLd Fashioned Girl (1964)

I have to reduce my single collection:

Eartha Mae Kitt (born Eartha Mae Keith; January 17, 1927 – December 25, 2008) was an American singer and actress known for her highly distinctive singing style and her 1953 recordings of “C’est si bon” and the Christmas novelty song “Santa Baby”.

Kitt began her career in 1942 and appeared in the 1945 original Broadway theatre production of the musical Carib Song. In the early 1950s, she had six US Top 30 entries, including “Uska Dara” and “I Want to Be Evil”. Her other recordings include the UK Top 10 song “Under the Bridges of Paris” (1954), “Just an Old Fashioned Girl” (1956) and “Where Is My Man” (1983).

Orson Welles once called her the “most exciting woman in the world”. She starred as Catwoman in the third and final season of the television series Batman in 1967.

In 1968, her career in the U.S. deteriorated after she made anti-Vietnam War statements at a White House luncheon. Ten years later, Kitt made a successful return to Broadway in the 1978 original production of the musical Timbuktu!, for which she received the first of her two Tony Award nominations. Her second was for the 2000 original production of the musical The Wild Party. Kitt wrote three autobiographies.

Kitt found a new generation of fans through her roles in the Disney films The Emperor’s New Groove (2000), in which she voiced the villainous Yzma, and Holes (2003). She reprised the role as Yzma in the direct-to-video sequel Kronk’s New Groove (2005), as well as the animated series The Emperor’s New School (2006–2008). Her work on the latter earned her two Daytime Emmy Awards. She posthumously won a third Emmy in 2010 for her guest performance on Wonder Pets!

Kitt was active in numerous social causes in the 1950s and 1960s. In 1966, she established the Kittsville Youth Foundation, a chartered and non-profit organization for underprivileged youths in the Watts area of Los Angeles. She was also involved with a group of youths in the area of Anacostia in Washington, D.C., who called themselves “Rebels with a Cause”. Kitt supported the groups’ efforts to clean up streets and establish recreation areas in an effort to keep them out of trouble by testifying with them before the House General Subcommittee on Education of the Committee on Education and Labor. In her testimony, in May 1967, Kitt stated that the Rebels’ “achievements and accomplishments should certainly make the adult ‘do-gooders’ realize that these young men and women have performed in 1 short year – with limited finances – that which was not achieved by the same people who might object to turning over some of the duties of planning, rehabilitation, and prevention of juvenile delinquents and juvenile delinquency to those who understand it and are living it”.

She added that “the Rebels could act as a model for all urban areas throughout the United States with similar problems”. “Rebels with a Cause” subsequently received the needed funding. Kitt was also a member of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom; her criticism of the Vietnam War and its connection to poverty and racial unrest in 1968 can be seen as part of a larger commitment to peace activism. Like many politically active public figures of her time, Kitt was under surveillance by the CIA, beginning in 1956. After The New York Times discovered the CIA file on Kitt in 1975, she granted the paper permission to print portions of the report, stating: “I have nothing to be afraid of and I have nothing to hide.”

Kitt later became a vocal advocate for LGBT rights and publicly supported same-sex marriage, which she considered a civil right. She had been quoted as saying: “I support it [gay marriage] because we’re asking for the same thing. If I have a partner and something happens to me, I want that partner to enjoy the benefits of what we have reaped together. It’s a civil-rights thing, isn’t it?”[35] Kitt famously appeared at many LGBT fundraisers, including a mega event in Baltimore, Maryland, with George Burns and Jimmy James.[25] Scott Sherman, an agent at Atlantic Entertainment Group, stated: “Eartha Kitt is fantastic… appears at so many LGBT events in support of civil rights.” In a 1992 interview with Dr. Anthony Clare, Kitt spoke about her gay following, saying:

We’re all rejected people, we know what it is to be refused, we know what it is to be oppressed, depressed, and then, accused, and I am very much cognizant of that feeling. Nothing in the world is more painful than rejection. I am a rejected, oppressed person, and so I understand them, as best as I can, even though I am a heterosexual.

Kitt died of colon cancer on Christmas Day 2008, three weeks shy of her 82nd birthday at her home in Weston, Connecticut. (wikipedia)

And here are two really nice and popular songs of Eartha Kitt from the Fifties:

Not only a great voice (a wonderful mixture of Soul, Blues & Jazz), but but also a really impressive woman

Personnel:
Eartha Kitt (vocals)
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a bunch of unknown musicians

Tracklist:
01. Let’s Do It (Let’s Fall in Love) (Porter) 3.10
02. Just An Old Fashioned Girl (Fischer) 2.56
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The official website:

Helmut Brandt Combo – Berlin Calling (2013)

Helmut Brandt (January 1, 1931, in Berlin – July 26, 2001, in Stuttgart) was a German jazz baritone saxophonist and bandleader. His style was influenced by Stan Getz and Gil Evans.

Brandt sang in a church choir as a boy, and played violin from age ten before learning saxophone and guitar at a conservatory. He began playing professionally in 1950 and led his own group by 1954. Initially a tenor saxophonist and clarinettist, he switched to baritone in 1954. Through the end of the 1950s he worked in a Berlin radio dance band, and played in the orchestras of Lubo D’Orio and Kurt Widmann. His Mainstream Orchestra was popular in Berlin in the 1970s. Brandt died of a heart attack in 2001. (wikipedia)

Born in Berlin on New Year’s Day of 1931, the composer, bandleader, and baritone saxophonist Helmut Brandt was a vital force on the German jazz scene throughout the entire second-half of the 20th century. While the jazz of this country is often associated with avant-garde styles, bringing to mind the fire-breathing saxophonist Peter Brötzmann, Brandt was a German bopper by nature whose inspirations were players such as Stan Getz and the intricate arrangements of Gil Evans. He first heard sides by the latter artist as a teenager. Brandt rose to prominence among mainstream fans in the mid-’50s, in a combo that combined his baritone saxophone with trumpet, piano, bass, and drums. This group’s repertoire was heavy on arrangements and original compositions by Brandt and he was considered to have a particular flair with ballads.

Brandt began his musical training in a church choir at the age of nine. The following year he began violin lessons, followed by the study of both saxophone and guitar in a music conservatory. In 1950 he made his professional debut; he formed his own group early in 1954. By the end of this decade he had joined an important dance band organized by one of the main Berlin radio stations. He also was involved with orchestras led by Lubo D’Orio and Kurt Widmann. A series of albums featuring his group were released on the Metronome label. In the ’70s he started his own Mainstream Orchestra, recording several well-received albums and building a loyal following in Berlin. While it seemed as if he swam with the musically conservative crowd, Brandt hardly settled into gentle mainstream strokes, creating more and more complicated compositions with intricate classical symphonic influences. He died of a heart attack while taking a walk in Stuttgart. (by Eugene Chadbourne)

When a compilation of ten previously unreleased recordings from the estate of Helmut Brandt, who died in 2001, appears, it is by no means just a case for rarity hunters and nostalgics. Brandt, who is primarily associated with the RIAS jazz orchestra formations, to which he belonged as an arranger and saxophonist from 1959 to 1997, led one of the most visionary and daring jazz bands on German soil after the war. Berlin Calling”, which brings together recordings of Brandt originals and standard arrangements from the years 1956 to 1958, bears impressive witness to this.

The arrangements, which are inspired by Miles’ Capitol Orchestra and in places flirt with the contemporary avant-garde, as well as Brandt’s outstanding technique on the baritone saxophone have lost none of their brilliance. And with the gift of making two wind players sound as if they were at least six, the much too little appreciated grand master of German post-war jazz would be more in demand than ever in today’s times of permanent austerity (Josef Engels).

Indeed:  a very special find … a treasure of German jazz in the 50s

All tracks previously unreleased, transferred from tapes of the Helmut Brandt estate.
Background noise or slight tape hiss can be heard in parts.

Personnel:
Helmut Brandt (saxophone)
Kenny Clarke (drums on 04.)
Ludwig Ebert (piano on  02., 06., 09. + 10.)
Klaus Gernhuber (bass on 02., 03.  06., 09. – 10)
Erich Gerosch (bass bei 01. + 08.)
Cony Jackel (trumpet)
Roland Kovac (piano on 04.)
Günther Maier (piano on 01. + 08.)
Gert Mann (piano on 03.)
Heinrich Schröder (drums on 03.)
Hans-Dieter Taubert (drums)
Peter Trunk (bass on 04.)

Tracklist:
01. Nordlicht (Brandt) 3.56
02. Salute To Lars Gullin (McHugh) 4.24
03. Yesterdays (Kern) 4.31
04. I Surrender Dear (Barris) 3.49
05. Bami (Brandt) 3.17
06. Moon Over Miami (Burke/Leslie) 3.34
07. Manhattan (Rodgers) 3.03
08. Lover For Sale (Porter) 5.33
09. Sum (Brandt) 4.07
10. Berlin Calling (Brandt) 3.41

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Various Artists – Werner Tautz – Time for Music (2002)

I did not know him before, thw composer Werner Tautz (* Dezember 9 1922 in Leipzig/Germany, – † 19. Mai 2014 in Tutzing/Germany).

There are few German composers who can boast an high international regard in the world of Dance Band and Light Music. One such man is Werner Tautz, who on 9th December 2002 celebrates his 80th Birthday. He is one of the very few who has managed to write for all the Radio Dance Orchestras of Germany, thereby adding many musical gems to the repertoire and archives of these Broadcasting organisations. (taken fromthe original linernotes)

And he not only composed extensively, but also founded a record company.

BRILLANT-MUSIK was established in 1964 by the composers Werner Tautz and Heinz Kiessling, and the publisher Hans Gerig. The business specialised in the production and distribution of instrumental light music (Easy Listening, Mood Music, String Orchestras, Big Bands, and Combos) for use in radio, television, film, advertising and on video. The catalogue also contains popular Austrian “Volksmusik” as well as jazz and serious music of Czech origin. Since 1989 a selection from the catalogue has been made available on bliss records though not exclusively. Foreign partner companies publish parts of the catalogue on their labels, and vice versa BRILLIANT-MUSIK and bliss records also represent foreign products in Germany.

Werner Tautz celebrated his 80th birthday last December, and this great collection of 25 of his compositions is a worthy tribute. Many readers of the magazine of the Robert Farnon Society  will already be familiar with Werner’s tuneful melodies through earlier Bliss Records releases, and they will be aware of his talent for composing bright and tuneful works that are so easy on the ear. This time the emphasis is more on dance and swing music, and once again Werner demonstrates that he is a master of this as well. The music simply bounces along happily from track to track, with some great big band sounds from various German radio orchestras that may well come as a pleasant surprise to collectors who think that the Americans (and perhaps a few British outfits) had a monopoly in this area. Not so! The likes of Kurt Edelhagen, Delle Haensche, Alfred Hause, Horst Jankowski, Erwin Lehn, Werner Müller and even Britain’s Reg Owen, all have a ball playing Werner’s great tunes. The recordings date from 1956 to 1977, and they seem to come from all the top radio stations in Germany. The booklet notes are in German and English, and I have no hesitation in saying that this new CD is going to give a lot of pleasure to folks who enjoy tuneful big band music from a few decades ago. (David Ades (Robert Farnon Society)

Tracks no. 6, 11, 16 & 19 are off-air domestic radio recordings due to the fact that the original master no longer exists. They have been remastered for optimum quality

Personnel:
Das Tanzorchester des SFB
Das Tanzorchester des HR
Das Orchester Cornelis op den Zieken (Radio Bremen)
Das Tanzorchester des SWF
Das Orchester Kurt Edelhagen (SWF)
Das WDR-Tanzorchester
Das Kölner Tanz- und Unterhaltungsorchester
Das RIAS-Tanzorchester
Das Tanzorchester des SR
Das Tanzorchester des SDR
Das Orchester Eddie Sauter (SWF)
Das Tanzorchester des NDR
Das Tanz- und Unterhaltungsorchester des NDR
Studio-Orchester, Hamburg
Das Münchner Rundfunk-Tanzorchester
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Freddy L’Host (clarinet on 09.)
Horst Jankowski (piano on 16., 19.)
Paul Kuhn (piano on 08.)
Klaus Marmulla (saxophone on 24.)
Kai Rautenberg (piano on 23.)
Helmut Reinhardt (saxophone on 06.)
Dieter Reith (piano on 05.)

Tracklist:

01. Das Tanzorchester des SFB (William Greihs): Big Bang (1966) 2.15
02. Das Tanzorchester des SFB (Roland Kovac): The Better Idea (Billy’s Trumpet) (1961) 2.50
03. Das Tanzorchester des HR (Heinz Schönberger): On The Road South (1972) 2.53
04. Das Orchester Cornelis op den Zieken (Radio Bremen):  Your Tenderness (1976) 4.31
05. Das Tanzorchester des SWF (Rolf-Hans Müller): Al Pari (1964) 2.36
06. Das Orchester Kurt Edelhagen (SWF): Penguin’s Walk (1956) 3.06
07. Das WDR-Tanzorchester (Werner Müller): Piccadilly Walk (1973) 2.54
08. Das Kölner Tanz- und Unterhaltungsorchester (Adalbert Luczkowsky: Portrait Of A Dream (1961) 3.52
09. Das RIAS-Tanzorchester (Günter Maier): Janine (1966) 2.21
10. Das Tanzorchester des SFB (Jerry Van Rooyen): Black Velvet (1966) 2.35
11. Das RIAS-Tanzorchester (Werner Müller): Tokyo Tea Time (Swinging Geishas) (1962) 2.06
12. Das Tanzorchester des SR (Manfred Minnich): Like Golden Dust (Aquamarin) (1961) 4.02
13. Das Tanzorchester des HR (Reg Owen): Window Shopping (Schaufensterbummel) (1963) 2.19
14. Das Tanzorchester des SR (Eberhard Pokorny): Drummer’s Holiday (1967) 2.22
15. Das Tanzorchester des HR (Willy Berking): Dinner Date (Du sagtest) (1959) 2.33
16. Das Tanzorchester des SDR (Erwin Lehn): Please Get Me Right (1957) 2.53
17. Das Orchester Eddie Sauter (SWF): Vanishing Shadows (1958) 3,41
18. Das Tanzorchester des NDR (Franz Thon): Collier (1962) 2.57
19. Das Tanzorchester des SDR (Erwin Lehn): Why Not (1960) 2.52
20. Das Tanz- und Unterhaltungsorchester des NDR (Alfred Hause): Sign Of Memory (Nur ein Souvenir) (1970) 3.38
21. Das Tanzorchester des SFB (Paul Kuhn): Music Is Never Wrong (1977) 3.15
22. Studio-Orchester, Hamburg (Rolf Kühn): La Belle (1967) 3.20
23.Das RIAS-Tanzorchester (Helmuth Brandenburg): Remember Rio (1970) 4.58
24. Das RIAS-Tanzorchester (Horst Jankowski): Yes I Am (1975) 3.54
25. Das Münchner Rundfunk-Tanzorchester (Delle Haensch): The Party Goes On (Party am Riz) 2.19

Music: Werner Tautz:
04. under the pseudonym Frank Nienburg
15. under the pseudonym Franz Rüger
21. under the pseudonym Jo Part

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Roy Orbinson – Golden Days (The Collection Of 20 All-Time Greats)

Roy Kelton Orbison (April 23, 1936 – December 6, 1988) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician known for his impassioned singing style, complex song structures, and dark, emotional ballads. His music was described by critics as operatic, earning him the nicknames “The Caruso of Rock” and “The Big O.” Many of Orbison’s songs conveyed vulnerability at a time when most male rock-and-roll performers chose to project machismo. He performed while standing motionless and wearing black clothes to match his dyed black hair and dark sunglasses.

Born in Texas, Orbison began singing in a rockabilly and country-and-western band as a teenager. He was signed by Sam Phillips of Sun Records in 1956, but enjoyed his greatest success with Monument Records. From 1960 to 1966, 22 of Orbison’s singles reached the Billboard Top 40. He wrote or co-wrote almost all of his own Top 10 hits, including “Only the Lonely” (1960), “Running Scared” (1961), “Crying” (1961), “In Dreams” (1963), and “Oh, Pretty Woman” (1964).

After the mid-1960s, Orbison suffered a number of personal tragedies and his career faltered. He experienced a resurgence in popularity in the 1980s following the success of several cover versions of his songs. In 1988, he co-founded the Traveling Wilburys (a rock supergroup) with George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, and Jeff Lynne. Orbison died of a heart attack in December 1988 at age 52. One month later, his song “You Got It” (1989) was released as a solo single, becoming his first hit to reach the US and UK Top 10 in nearly 25 years.

Orbison’s honors include inductions into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1987, the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1989, and the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in 2014. He received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and five other Grammy Awards. Rolling Stone placed him at number 37 on its list of the “Greatest Artists of All Time” and number 13 on its list of the “100 Greatest Singers of All Time”. In 2002, Billboard magazine listed him at number 74 on its list of the Top 600 recording artists. (wikipedia)

And here´s a nice compilation with some of his best songs.

A add my favourite Roy Orbinson song “I Got It”.

Personnel:
Roy Orbinson (vocals, guitar)
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many, many studio musicians

Tracklist:
01. Oh Pretty Woman (Dees/Orbison) 2.57
02. Running Scared (Melson/Orbison) 2.10
03. Falling (Orbison) 2.22
04. Love Hurts (Bryant) 2.27
05. Mean Woman Blues (de Metrius) 2.25
06. I Can’t Stop Loving You (Gibson) 2.49
07. The Crowd (Melson/Orbison) 2.22
08. Blue Bayou (Melson/Orbison) 2.30
09. Borne On The Wind (Dees/Orbison) 2.52
10. Lana (Melson/Orbison) 2.52
11. Only The Lonely (Melson/Orbison) 2.30
12. It’s Over (Dees/Orbison) 2.49
13. Crying (Melson/Orbison) 2.47
14. Pretty Paper (Nelson) 2.44
15. All I Have To Do Is Dream (Bryant) 2.24
16. Dream Baby (How Long Must I Dream) (Walker) 2.34
17. Blue Angel (Melson/Orbison) 2.43
18. Working For The Man (Orbison) 2.27
19. Candy Man (Ross/Neil) 2.46
20. In Dreams (Orbison) 2.51
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21. You Got It (Lynne/Orbison/Petty) 3.31

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More from Roy Orbinson:

Anton Karas – Vienna, City Of Dreams (1963)

Anton Karl Karas (7 July 1906 – 10 January 1985) was an Austrian zither player and composer, best known for his internationally famous 1948 soundtrack to Carol Reed’s The Third Man. His association with the film came about as a result of a chance meeting with its director. The success of the film and the enduring popularity of its theme song changed Karas’ life.

Anton was born illegitimate at Marchfeldstraße 17, Brigittenau, Vienna to Theresia Streckel. He was later legitimized by her marriage to a factory worker, Karl Josef Karas. One of five children, Anton Karas was already keen on music as a child. He wanted to become a bandleader, which was impossible because of his family’s financial situation. He was allowed to learn to play an instrument, as were his two brothers and two sisters. He later reported that his first zither was one he found in his grandmother’s attic at the age of 12.

As ordered by his father, he became an apprentice tool and die maker at the age of 14, while taking evening courses in music at a private institution. He finished his apprenticeship in 1924, and worked in a car factory until becoming unemployed in January 1925. Having already begun to study at the University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna in 1924, he subsequently earned a living as an entertainer in a Heuriger. He soon earned more than his father, and continued his studies until 1928.

In 1930, he married, with the birth of his daughter following three months later. From 1939 to 1945 he was with the German Wehrmacht anti-aircraft warfare, temporarily in Russia, where he took a zither along. He lost more than one instrument from war action, but always managed to find another one.

In the summer of 1948, director Carol Reed was preparing to shoot The Third Man in Vienna and was staying in the Hotel Sacher, along with many of the British elements of the Allied Control Commission for Austria. Robert Baty, the young son of the Director of Education, C.W. Baty, was tasked with showing the director around the city. On the second day, they stopped at a Heuriger and heard Karas playing the zither in the background. This is described in Karas’ L.A. Times/Reuters obituary which states that:

Reed, desperately searching for a theme tune … chanced on the tavern in Vienna’s Grinzing wine-growing district. Struck by the simple zither melodies, Reed asked a stunned Karas if he would compose the music for the film. Karas protested, saying he had never actually written music. As Karas later told the story, the director insisted and invited Karas to England. The Austrian became homesick and asked to return. Reed told him he could; when he had written the music. Under this pressure, Karas wrote his Harry Lime theme.

The film—with the music a contributing factor—was a success, and Karas’ life was changed drastically.[4] As a result, he toured globally and performed for many celebrities, including members of the British Royal family. Princess Margaret invited him to London’s Empress Club, where he played twice a week while in London. He also appeared before Queen Juliana of the Netherlands, members of the Swedish royal family, and Pope Pius XII.

By the end of 1949, half a million copies of “The Harry Lime Theme” had been sold, an unprecedented number. The success of the score caused a surge in zither sales.

In Austria, the film opened on 10 March 1950, in Vienna’s Apollo Kino, and it initially offended some Viennese inhabitants, as it focused on the disgrace of the destroyed city. Vienna’s newspaper critics hated the film, except for its music. When Karas returned to Austria after his first world tour in July 1950, he was welcomed by Chancellor Leopold Figl and other members of the government. Most importantly, the public liked the film. In Brigittenau, where Karas was born, people queued for tickets which were sold out eight days in advance.

The original single from 1948:

Karas disliked the glamour, and his soundtrack proved to be an enduring one-hit wonder. He later stated, “I never was a star, and never felt like one. It is because of that film that I was pushed from one place to the other … My only desire was to be back home again.”[citation needed] He toured again in 1951, travelling to Montreal and Las Vegas, followed by other tours, including Japan in 1962, 1969 and 1972, where he performed for Emperor Hirohito.

In 1954, he opened a Heuriger, which became fashionable among cinema celebrities including Orson Welles, Gina Lollobrigida, Curd Jürgens, Hans Moser, Paul Hörbiger, Marika Rökk and Johannes Heesters, thereby becoming a tourist attraction. He was not satisfied, as he preferred to perform for locals who would understand him, his language and music. Because of this, he retired and retreated from the limelight in 1966, explaining, “I’m not a tourist guy, and what I did there had hardly anything to do with ‘Vienna Heuriger’.”

The first few bars of “The Third Man Theme” are engraved on his grave marker in Vienna. (wikipedia)

And here´s a nice sampler with many ofhi beautful mloies.

Enjoy this trip to Vienna, the city of dreams:

Personnel:
Anton Karas (zither)
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Die 2 Rudis:
Rudi Kurtzmann (bass)
Rudi Schipper (accordeon)

Tracklist:
01. The Harry Lime Theme (Karas) 3.12
02. Nothing Doing! (Keine Ahnung) (Karas) 2.11
03. Drink Brothers Drink (Trink, trink, Brüderlein) (Lindemann) 2.13
04. Ottakringer-March (Foderl) 2.01
05. In Grinzing (Benatzky) 3.29
06. Im Prater blühn wieder die Bäume (Stolz) 2.07
07. Lili Marlene (Leip/Schultze/Connor) 2.07
08. Vienna, City Of My Dreams (Sieczynski) 2.42
09. Zither Man (Karas) 1.59
10. Mei Matzleinsdorf (Obermayer) 3.15
11. Mein Herz Binker-Waltz (Karas) 2.33
12. Liebes Wien, du Stadt der Lieder-Waltz (Strecker) 1.42
13. Mei‘ Muatterl war s Wienerin-Polka (Gruber) 2.25
14. The Cafe Mozart Waltz (Karas) 2.54

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The official website:

Ella Fitzgerald – The Essential Ella (1991)

Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917 – June 15, 1996) was an American jazz singer, sometimes referred to as the “First Lady of Song”, “Queen of Jazz”, and “Lady Ella”. She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing, timing, intonation, and a “horn-like” improvisational ability, particularly in her scat singing.

After a tumultuous adolescence, Fitzgerald found stability in musical success with the Chick Webb Orchestra, performing across the country but most often associated with the Savoy Ballroom in Harlem. Her rendition of the nursery rhyme “A-Tisket, A-Tasket” helped boost both her and Webb to national fame. After taking over the band when Webb died, Fitzgerald left it behind in 1942 to start her solo career. Her manager was Moe Gale, co-founder of the Savoy, until she turned the rest of her career over to Norman Granz, who founded Verve Records to produce new records by Fitzgerald. With Verve she recorded some of her more widely noted works, particularly her interpretations of the Great American Songbook.

While Fitzgerald appeared in movies and as a guest on popular television shows in the second half of the twentieth century, her musical collaborations with Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and The Ink Spots were some of her most notable acts outside of her solo career. These partnerships produced some of her best-known songs such as “Dream a Little Dream of Me”, “Cheek to Cheek”, “Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall”, and “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)”. In 1993, after a career of nearly 60 years, she gave her last public performance. Three years later, she died at the age of 79 after years of declining health. Her accolades included 14 Grammy Awards, the National Medal of Arts, the NAACP’s inaugural President’s Award, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.(wikipedia)

And here´s another official compüilation from Verve Records, a rare release from Australia.

Recognized worldwide as “The First Lady of Song,” Ella Fitzgerald is arguably the finest female jazz vocalist of all time. Blessed with a highly resonant voice, wide range, and near-perfect elocution, Fitzgerald also possessed a deft sense of swing, and with her brilliant scat technique, could hold her own against any of her instrumental contemporaries. She came to initial popularity as a member of drummer Chick Webb’s band in the 1930s, scoring a hit with a “A-Tisket, A-Tasket,” before ascending to wide acclaim in the 1940s with Jazz at the Philharmonic and Dizzy Gillespie’s Big Band, and issuing landmark performances like “Flying Home” and “How High the Moon.”

Working with producer/manager Norman Granz, she gained even more acclaim with her series of albums on Verve, recording definitive versions of the music of the Great American Songbook composers, including 1956’s Sings the Cole Porter Songbook. Over her 50-year career, she earned 13 Grammy Awards, sold over 40 million albums, and picked up numerous accolades including a National Medal of Arts and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. A hugely important cultural figure, Fitzgerald made an immeasurable impact on the development of jazz and popular music, and remains a touchstone for fans and artists decades after her passing. (by Matt Collar)

Another chance to discover “The First Lady of Song” !

Personnel:
Ella Fitzgerald (vocals)
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The Buddy Bregman Orchestra (on 01,, 02, 06, 14. – 16)
Billy May And His Orchestra (on 03. – 05. 08., 17., 20. + 21.)
Nelson Riddle And His Orchestra (on 07., 13. + 19.)
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Max Bennett (bass on 10.)
Ray Brown (bass on 10.)
Herb Ellis (guitar on 10.)
Jim Hall (guitar on 09. 11. + 12.)
Gus Johnson (drums on 09., 11., 12. + 22.)
“Philly” Joe Jones (drums on 10.)
Lou Levy (piano on 09. + 12.)
Wilfred Middlebrooks (bass on 09., 11. + 22.)
Oscar Peterson (piano on 10.)
Paul Smith (piano on 11. + 22.)

Tracklist:
01. The Lady Is A Tramp (Rodgers/Hart) (1956) 3.24
02. Manhattan (Rodgers/Hart) (1956) 2.51
03. The Very Thought Of You (Noble) (1962) 2.46
04. From This Moment On (Porter) (1956) 3.20
05. A Foggy Day (G.Gershwin/I.Geshwin) (1959) 3.33
06. With A Song In My Heart (Rodgers/Hart) (1959) 2.46
07. Cheek To Cheek (Berlin) 1958) 3.48
08. I’ve Got A Crush On You (G.Gershwin/I.Geshwin) (1959) 3.30
09. A-Tisket A-Tasket (live) (Fitzgerald /Feldman) (1951) 1.55
10. These Foolish Things (Strachey/Link/Marvell) (1957) 3.49
11. Mack The Knife (live) (Weill/Brecht/Blitzstein) (1960) 5.06
12. Caravan (live) (Ellington/Tizol/Mills) (1958) 2.44
13. I Can’t Get Started (Duke/Gershwin) (1962) 3.33
14. I’ve Got You Under My Skin (Porter) (1956) 2.45
15. Night And Day (Porter) (1956) 3.05
16. Everytime Time We Say Goodbye (Porter) (1956) 3.34
17. It’s Only A Paper Moon (Arlen/Harburg/Rose) (1960) 3.35
18. I Get A Kick Out Of You (Porter) (1956) 4.05
19. I Got Rhythm (G.Gershwin/I.Gershwin) (1959) 3.07
20.  My Funny Valentine (Rodgers/Hart) (1956) 3.53
21. That Old Black Magic (Arlen/Mercer) (1961) 4.11
22. Misty (live) (Gamer/Burke) (1960) 2.42

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More from Ella Fitzgerald:

The official website:

Various Artists – Songs And Dances Of Turkey (1956)

Turkish folk music (Türk Halk Müziği) is the traditional music of Turkish people living in Turkey influenced by the cultures of Anatolia and former territories in Europe and Asia. Its unique structure includes regional differences under one umbrella. It includes popular music from the Ottoman Empire era. After the foundation of the Turkish Republic in 1923, Turkish President Mustafa Kemal Atatürk ordered a wide-scale classification and archiving of samples of Turkish folk music from around the country, which, from 1924 to 1953 collected around 10,000 folk songs. Traditional folk music was combined with Western harmony and musical notation to create a more modern style of popular Turkish music. (wikipedia)

The geographical bridge between Europe and Asia, the folk dance and music of Turkey is an amalgam of Eastern and Western cultures. Their folk dances demonstrate various relationships found in the world around them (i.e. man and nature, man and woman, man and war, man and agriculture, etc.).(folkways.si.edu)

Songs and Dances of Turkey presents ancient classical music, folk songs, popular songs, and modern classical music from Turkey. Native instruments such as the darbuka (hand drum), kaval (end-blown flute), and baglama are featured prominently. Also included are dances such as the zeybek (from the Aegean provinces) in which dancers spread their arms broadly in imitation of an eagle in flight. Liner notes include a brief introduction, track notes, and illustrations of some of the featured instruments. (Press release)

For most of us this music will sound very unfamiliar, but this music is nevertheless very magical and fascinating.

Personnel:
unfortunately the most of the musicians are unknown
+
The Historic Turkish Music Chorus And Orchestra Of Radio Istanbul (on 14. + 15.)
The Band Of The Military Academy (Harp Okulu) In Ankara (on 20.)

Tracklist:
01. Dance Of Kars 1.54
02. Hop, Hop, Hop (Love Song From Central Turkey) 2.10
03. Zeybek (1) (Dance From Izmir) 1.31
04. Zeybek (2) (Dance From Izmir) 1.19
05. Girl From Kermen (Love Song From Central Turkey) 2.03
06. Dance (from Rize on the Black Sea) 1.34
07. Camel Bells (Caravan Song From Trabzon On The Black Sea) 1.43
08. The Waters Of The Valley (Love Song From Erzurum) 2.01
09. Kazaska (Dance From Kars) 1.39
10. Dance (From Rize On The Black Sea) 1.10
11. Shepard’s Song (From Rize On The Black Sea) 0.43
12. Bacon Is In The Larder (Dance From Rize On The Black Sea) 1.35
13. Black Pepper (Popular Love Song From Istanbul) 1.38
14. Classic Song (1) (Istanbul) 3.55
15. Classic Song (2) (Istanbul) 2.36
16.Flute Solo (Istanbul) 1.34
17. Zurna And Davul (1) (Dance From Ankara) 1.50
18. Zurna And Davul (2) (Dance From Ankara) 1.07
19. Mehter (Classical, From Istanbul) 5.02
20. Izmir March 3.14
21. Dance From Kars 2.15
22. Every Morning, Every Dawn (Love Song From Trabzon On The Black Sea) 2.28

All songs: Traditional

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Julie London – The Best Of Julie London (1992)

Julie London (née Peck; September 26, 1926 – October 18, 2000) was an American singer and actress whose career spanned more than 40 years. A torch singer noted for her sultry, languid contralto vocals, London recorded over thirty albums of pop and jazz standards between 1955 and 1969. Her recording of “Cry Me a River”, a track she introduced on her debut album, was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2001. In addition to her musical notice, London was nominated for a Golden Globe Award in 1974 for her portrayal of nurse Dixie McCall in the television series Emergency!.

Born in Santa Rosa, California, to vaudevillian parents, London was discovered while working as an elevator operator in downtown Los Angeles, and she began her career as an actress. London’s 35-year acting career began in film in 1944, and included roles as the female lead in numerous westerns, co-starring with Rock Hudson in The Fat Man (1951), with Robert Taylor and John Cassavetes in Saddle the Wind (1958), with Gary Cooper in Man of the West (1958) and with Robert Mitchum in The Wonderful Country (1959).

In the mid-1950s, she signed a recording contract with Liberty Records, marking the beginning of her professional musical career. She released her final studio album in 1969, but achieved continuing success playing the female starring role of nurse Dixie McCall in the television series Emergency! (1972–1979), in which she acted with her husband Bobby Troup. The show was produced by her ex-husband Jack Webb.

London was a chain smoker from the age of 16 and at times smoked in excess of three packs of cigarettes per day. She suffered a stroke in 1995 and remained in poor health for the following five years. In late 1999, she was diagnosed with lung cancer but forwent treatment due to her weakened physical state. On October 17, 2000, London was rushed from her home to the Encino-Tarzana Regional Medical Center after choking and struggling to breathe. She died in the hospital in the early morning hours of October 18 of what was later determined to be cardiac arrest; she was 74.

London was cremated and buried next to Troup in the Courts of Remembrance Columbarium of Providence at Forest Lawn-Hollywood Hills Cemetery in Los Angeles.[62] Her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (for recording) is at 7000 Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles. (wikipedia)

And here´s a nice compilation:

Julie London´s ravishing beauty and warm, sultry voice made her a singing and acting sensation during the 1950´and 1960´s. Her 1955 recording of Cry Me A River, with its simple, intimate accompaniment of guitar and bass is widely regarded as the definitive interpretation. This album presents this all time classic, along with nineteen more of her most popular recorings (takefrom the linernotes)

Personnel:
Julie London (vocals)
+
many, many studio musicians

Tracklist:
01. Come On-A My House (Bagdasarian/Saroyan) 2.39
02. In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning (Mann/Hilliard) 2.51
03. Slightly Out Of Tune (Desafinado) (Jobim/Mendonca/Hendricks/Cavanaugh) 2.08
04. I Loves You Porgy (G.Gershwin/Heyward/I,Gershwin) 2.43
05. Hot Toddy (Flanagan/Hendler) 1.52
06. Cry Me River (Hamilton) 3.01
07. More (Theme From “Mondo Cane”) (Newell/Ortolani/Olivero) 2.48
08. Our Day Will Come (Hilliard/Garson) 2.25
09. A Taste Of Honey (Marlow/Scott) 3.23
10. My Heart Belongs To Daddy (Porter) 2.49
11. Love Letters (Young/Heyman) 2.54
12. Midnight Sun (Hampton/Burke/Mercer) 2.31
13. Must Be Catchin’ (Stanley) 2.10
14. Black Coffee (Webster/Burke) 3.00
15. Daddy (Troup) 2.16
16. Blue Moon (Roders/Hart) 2.35
17. Baby, Won’t You Please Come Home (Warfields/Williams) 2.16
18. Sway (Gimbel/Ruiz) 2.38
19. Never On Sunday (Towne/Hadjidakis) 2.25
20. Fascination (Manning/Marchetti) 1.57

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More from Julie London:

A fan website (now deleted):

Various Artists – Greatest Love Songs (2001)

And here is one of these countless compilation albums with “Greatest Love Song” …

… Compilations of this kind are part of the music industry to earn a little more money with low budget productions.
Many of the songs are actually “sad love songs” and I think there is something for everyone on these two CDs.

My favourite songs are “Morning Has Broken “, “Island In The Sun”, “The Air That I Breathe”, “Light My Fire”, “When A Man Loves A Woman”, “Pretty Woman”, “Wonderful World”, “My Girl”, “Only You”, “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue” and “Brown Eyed Girl” … they touch my soul.

Enjoy your sentimental side.

Tracklist:

CD 1:
01. Al Martino: Spanish Eyes (Kaempfert/ingleton/Snyder) 2.49
02. America: Sister Golden Hair (Beckley) 3.21
03. Art Garfunkel: Bright Eyes (Batt) 3.59
04. Barry White: You’re The First, The Last, My Everything (White/Sepe/Redcliffe) 3.26
05. Bellamy Brothers: If I Said You Have A Beautiful Body Would You Hold It Against Me (D.Bellamy) 3.12
06. Cat Stevens: Morning Has Broken (Stevens/Farjeon) 3.19
07. Chicago: If You Leave Me Now (Cetera) 3.54
08. Commodores: Three Times A Lady (Richie) 3.38
09. Dean Martin: Everybody Loves Somebody (Lane/Coslow/Taylor) 2.46
10. Diane Warwick: Heartbreaker (B.Gibb/R.Gibb/M.Gibb) 4.18
11. Eric Carmen: All By Myself (Carmen) 4.54
12. Everly Brothers: All I Have To Do Is Dream (Bryant) 2.24
13. F. R. Davids: Words (Fetoussi) 2.51
14. Gary Pucket: Young Girl (Fuller) 3.08
15. Gary Wright: Dream Weaver (Wright) 4.18
16. Harry Belafonte: Island In The Sun (Belafonte/Burgess) 3.23

CD 2:
01. Hazlewood/Sinatra: Summerwine (Nayer/Mercer) 3.39
02. Hollies: The Air That I Breathe (Hammond/Hazlewood) 4.03
03. Jose Feliciano: Light My Fire (Morrison/Manzarek/Densmore/Krieger) 3.04
04. Leo Sayer: When I Need You (Hammond/Sager) 4.07
05. Pat Boone: Love Letters In The Sand (Kenny/Coots) 2.08
06. Paul Anka: Put Your Head On My Shoulder (Anka) 2.37
07. Percy Sledge: When A Man Loves A Woman (Lewis/Wright) 2.49
08. Righteous Brothers: Unchained Melody (Zaret/North) 3.37
09. Roy Orbison: Pretty Woman (Orbinson/Dees) 2.59
10. Sam Cooke: Wonderful World (Cooke/Adler/Alpert) 3.00
11. Temptation: My Girl (Robinson/White) 2.41
12. The Platters: Only You (Ram/Rand) 2.36
13. Them: It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue (Dylan) 3.48
14. Tom Jones: She’s A Lady (Anka) 3.36
15. Van Morrison: Brown Eyed Girl (Morrison) 3.03
16. Walker Brothers: The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Any More (Crewe/Gauido) 3.01

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Peggy Lee – Gold – The Lady Is A Tramp (2006)

Norma Deloris Egstrom (May 26, 1920 – January 21, 2002), known professionally as Peggy Lee, was an American jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, composer, and actress, over a career spanning seven decades.

From her beginning as a vocalist on local radio to singing with Benny Goodman’s big band, Lee created a sophisticated persona, writing music for films, acting, and recording conceptual record albums combining poetry and music.

Lee recorded over 1,100 masters and composed over 270 songs. (wikipedia)

Peggy Lee’s alluring tone, distinctive delivery, breadth of material, and ability to write many of her own songs made her one of the most captivating artists of the vocal era, from her breakthrough on the Benny Goodman hit “Why Don’t You Do Right” to her many solo successes that showed her bewitching vocal power, a balance between sultry swing and impeccable musicianship. Lee started out in the early ’40s as the vocalist for the Goodman band, and shortly thereafter became a star in her own right.

Though she had numerous pop hits, she constantly crossed the line between pop and jazz, and was hailed by numerous critics as one of America’s finest singers in either genre. In addition, Lee was involved in the film world as both an actress and a composer, most actively in the ’50s (she received an Academy Award nomination for her role in Pete Kelly’s Blues). She was a pioneer of the cool vocal style, and best-known for her hit version of the Little Willie John tune “Fever,” off 1958’s Sea Shells. A tireless artist, she continued working until her health gave out in the ’90s. (by John Bush)

And here´s a low budget album … with many of their songs and hits …

Peggy Lee really had a great smoky voice that never has been duplicated. So, enjoy this trip … another sentimental journey in this blog … with many rare live recordings !

Personnel:
Peggy Leee (vocals)
+
many, many studio musicians

Alternate edition:

Tracklist:
01. The Lady Is A Tramp (Rodgers/Hart) 2.15
02. Too Young (Dee/Lippman) 2.09
03. If I Could Be With You One Hour Tonight (Creamer/Johnson) 1.39
04. These Foolish Things (Link/Marvell/Strachey) 2.20
05. Just One More Chance (Coslow/Johnston) 2.26
06. A Guy Is A Guy (Brand) 1.26
07. Shangai (Hilliard/DeLugg) 2.05
08. If Never Happened To Me (Elly) 2.52
09. Make The Man Love Me (Kelly) 2.16
10. It’s All Over Now (Skylar/Marcotte) 2.41
11. It Takes A Long Long Train With A Red Caboose (Charles/Markes) 2.53
12. Golden Earrings (Young/Livingston/Evans) 2.51
13. Love, Your Magic Spell Is Everywhere (Goulding/Janis) 2.59
14. What Is This Thing Called Love (Porter) 1.46
15. I Got Lucky In The Rain (Adamson/McHugh) 2.18
16. He’s Just My Kind (Huddleston/McIntyre) 3.01
17. Linger In My Arms A Little Longer, Baby (Magidson) 2.46
18. For Sentimental Reasons (Watson/Best) 2.27
19. My Last Affair (Johnson) 2.54
20. I’m Confessin’ (That I Love You) (Dougherty/Reynolds/Neiburg) 2.39

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More from Peggy Lee:

The official website: