PEGGY LEE: "The Man I Love"

Original released on LP Capitol T-864

(US, August 1957)

Around the same time that Peggy Lee decamped her longtime label home, Capitol Records, for what turned out to be a five-year sojourn at Decca Records in 1952, an apparently washed-up Frank Sinatra signed with Capitol. In 1957, when Lee returned to Capitol, Sinatra had re-established himself as a major recording artist. Meanwhile, the recording world had changed with the emergence of the 12-inch LP as an industry standard. "The Man I Love", Lee's first recording for Capitol in the format after re-signing, matched her with the company's flagship artist, Sinatra, who was credited as the album's conductor, his name printed on the front cover in the same size as Lee's. A year earlier, Sinatra had conducted his Tone Poems of Color album for Capitol, and though the singer did not read music and relied on arranger Nelson Riddle, he again proved himself able to make his intentions clear in working with Lee. "The Man I Love" is a concept album in the manner pioneered by Sinatra at Capitol, a group of 12 songs chosen to express a single theme. That theme, as the title suggests, is a woman's unwavering devotion to a man, as expressed in songs often composed by gilt-edged songwriters (Gershwin, Arlen, Rodgers, Kern, etc.) and taken from Broadway shows. That devotion is not starry eyed, however; in several songs, Lee acknowledges the flaws in her paramour (e.g., "Something Wonderful"), but then explains them away and reconfirms her commitment. In fact, toward the end she worries what she would do "If I Should Lose You" before declaring "There Is No Greater Love" and finally idealizing the long-term relationship in the closing song, "The Folks Who Live on the Hill." It wouldn't be surprising to find that Sinatra directed Lee to sing like one of his favorite singers, Billie Holiday, since she often does, laying back in understated vocal performances to reinforce the near-victimhood of the woman depicted in the songs. Riddle supports these interpretations with lush string charts that hint of dark feelings. The result is a superb pairing of singer, conductor, and arranger on an album that re-conceives Lee as a Capitol recording artist in the Sinatra concept album mold. (William Ruhlmann in AllMusic)

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LITTLE RICHARD: "The Complete 1957 - 1960 London EP Sides"

The Great RAY CHARLES

Original released on LP Atlantic 1259

(US, August 1957)

This set is rather unusual, for it is strictly instrumental, allowing Ray Charles a rare opportunity to be a jazz-oriented pianist. Two selections are with a trio (bassist Oscar Pettiford joins Charles on "Black Coffee"), while the other six are with a septet taken from his big band of the period. Key among the sidemen are David Newman (soloing on both tenor and alto) and trumpeter Joseph Bridgewater; highlights include Quincy Jones' "The Ray," "My Melancholy Baby," "Doodlin'," and "Undecided." Ray Charles should have recorded in this setting more often in his later years. (Scott Yanow in AllMusic)

ELLA FITZGERALD: "Like Someone In Love"

Original released on LP Verve MGV 4004

(US, December 1957)

Being one of the queens of jazz, Ella Fitzgerald's abilities as a balladeer have been somewhat underrated over the years. Thus, efforts like this 1957 orchestral ballad album arranged and conducted by Frank DeVol have always taken a backseat to jazz albums like 1960's "Ella In Berlin" or 1963's "Ella & Basie". Unfortunately, this is an injustice to Ella in her capacity as the The FIrst Lady of Song. The performances here are ballad readings of the top rank, Ella's crooning blends well with DeVol's arrangements that are lush, on tracks like "Close Your Eyes" and "Midnight Sun", and tender on ballads like "I Never Had a Chance" and "Then I'll Be Tired of You". Her ethereal tone breathes life into these ballads and it accentuates the elegance and romance inherent in these pages from the Great American Songbook and she sprinkles some horn-like jazz phrasing in all the right places for that added zest and colour to thrill any jazz listener. Jazz fans will be delighted to discover that cool jazz maestro Stan Getz appears here too (on "There's a Lull in My Life", "What Will I Tell My Heart", "Midnight Sun" & "You're Blasé"). His obbligatos (check out "What Will I Tell My Heart") and solo spots (play "You're Blasé") here form the cherry on top of a very musically delicious cake. This album is one of Ella's finest and is on par with similar evergreen ballad albums from her peers like Nat King Cole's "Love Is The Thing" and Frank Sinatra's "Nice n' Easy". (Le Real Luc Ow in AllMusic)

BLOSSOM DEARIE: "Give Him The Ooh-La-La"

Original released on LP Verve MGV 2081

(US, November 1957)

Blossom Dearie's girlishly dynamic voice, subtle piano playing, and rarified choice of contemporary material made her recordings unique among '50s jazz vocal outings. "Give Him the Ooh-La-La" is no exception, with stellar backing by regular bassist Ray Brown, drummer Jo Jones and guitarist Herb Ellis, and Dearie's taut arrangements of a set of glowing ballads and brisk swingers. Included are a few well-worn standards like "Just One of Those Things" and "Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea." More intriguing, however, are Dearie's inclusion of obscure titles like Cy Coleman's "The Riviera," a tongue and cheek portrait of Europe's playground, as well as his "I Walk a Little Faster." Additionally, there's the gently executed and innocuous self-help number "Try Your Wings," a bouncy "The Middle of Love," and a nod to her club stint in Paris with the French tune "Plus Je T'Embrasse." As usual, both Dearie's piano and voice are instilled with impeccable playfulness on mischievous numbers like the title track and in the tender pathos of ballads such as "Like Someone in Love." "Give Him the Ooh-La-La" features a great collection of tunes from the high point of her recording career. The dilemma is not which recording to get, but where to start. (Stephen Cook in AllMusic)

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RAY CHARLES: "Rhythm & Blues"

Original released on LP Atlantic 8006

(US, 1957)

His first album contains a lot of hit singles from the previous years. At the piano he accompanies himself and plays short, bluesy solos and interludes. He's supported by brass, double bass and drums. His Jewish producer Jerry Wexler was a former journalist who invented the term rhythm 'n' blues to replace Billboard's "race music". Ray Charles' style would lead to the emergence of Southern soul in the next few years. "Sinner's Prayer" is a twelve bar blues, but many songs deviate from this basic schedule and contain chromatic progressions. Some of the songs have gospel elements like female backing vocals and religious content. The lyrics of "Losing Hand" are metaphorical for unrequited love, but they also evoke the atmosphere of smokey bars and illegal gambling joints in Southern cities. The A-side contains sorrowful songs about heartbreak with a midtempo swing, e.g. the deeply emotional "Drown in My Own Tears", which uses the typical double dominant chord. The B-side has a much happier mood, starting with the excited love song "Hallelujah I Love Her So". It's an uptempo swing with a touch of gospel and a sax solo. The next songs are jump blues, a style with jazzy brass that comes close to rock 'n' roll. "I Got a Woman" is his 1955 hit in this style. (in RateYourMusic)

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