NILLA PIZZI: "Souvenir d'Italia" (1954 - 1961)

LOUIS PRIMA: "The Wildest!" + Bonus Tracks

Original released on LP Capitol T755

(US 1956, October 1)

A collection of jump blues and classic jazz numbers played with such frenetic energy and grinding libido that some of the songs almost swagger their way into rock & roll territory. Louis Prima (1910-12-07 > 1978-08-24) hams his way through the vocals in a way that is almost self-parody, but the music itself (including Prima's own peppy trumpet playing) is so bold and full of vitality that the singer's silliness can be ignored for the sheer pleasure of hearing what was then perhaps the best party band in the country. Wild, swinging, bombastic music which can be enjoyed by anyone of any age in any era. I loved this album so much (from the very first song) that I started dancing to it right away. And nope, I don't think I've heard of Prima before (feel free to flame me) but felt that his husky jazzy swinging voice was familiar. Oh wait, he was the King Louie orangutan in Disney's "Jungle Book" as the king of the swingers! Seriously, "The Wildest!" is just too much fun, especially the friendly banter duet with Louis' then-wife Keely Smith, who, incidentally passed away on 2017, December 16th. Their "Just a Gigolo / I Ain't Got Nobody" performance (which you may also recognize after David Lee Roth's cover) is hysterical (find it on YouTube) as the husband and wife act! The album is an infection collection of top big band, swing, and jump blues hits. This one is a keeper! Cha-ching! (in AllMusic)

ESQUIVEL: "To Love Again" / "Cabaret Trágico"

 Original released on LP RCA Victor LPM 1345

(US, 1957)

Original released on LP RCA Victor MKL 1088

(MEXICO, 1958)

PAST PERFECT: Italiano Americano

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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