Rating:
Genre:
Vocal Music
Release Date: 06/27/2006
This 14-track collection of material by
Sammy Davis, Jr. is sorely needed. While his
"Candyman" smash isn't here, it hardly needs to be. This compilation showcases the great saloon singer, the balladeer, and the
jazz standard vocalist. What we hear on cuts such as
"Walkin' My Baby Back Home," "I've Gotta Be Me," and
"Falling in Love with Love" is a disciplined vocalist who can ride with any set of arrangements and deliver a song with great emotional intensity, wonderful control, and highly original phrasing. Let's face it, singers like
Ed Ames,
Al Martino, and
Robert Goulet didn't learn from
Frank Sinatra, and they certainly didn't cop from
Dino; they emulated
Davis' style and phrasing because it was populist, accessible, and communicated directly, not esoterically, and not over-authoritatively to the listener. Other standout cuts here are
Davis' unique reading of
"People," his dramatic and moving
"What Kind of Fool Am I?," his breezy
"Unforgettable," the late-night weary,
"The Party's Over," and his stunning version of
Rodgers & Hart's
"My Romance." This baby's solid and swingin'. Get it.
~Thom Jurek, All Music Guide
;)
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