CD1
Pick Yourself Up
1. Don’t Be That Way
2. Let’s Face The Music And Dance
3. I Never Had A Chance
4. Stompin’ At The Savoy
5. Pick Yourself Up
6. Stars Fell On Alabama
7. Sweet Georgia Brown
8. I Won’t Dance
9. Man With A Horn
10. I Used To Be ColoUr Blind
11. There’s A Lull In My Life
12. Let’s Begin
Anita O'Day – Vocals
Paul Smith – Piano, celeste
Barney Kessel – Guitar
Joe Mondragon – Bass
Larry Bunker – Vibes, bongoes (tracks 1, 2, 5, 10)
Alvin Stoller – Drums (tracks 1-5, 7, 8, 10, 12)
Buddy Bregman – Arranger (tracks 1, 2, 5, 6, 9-11)
Pete Candoli, Conte Candoli – Trumpet (Tracks 3, 4, 7, 8, 12)
Frank Rosolino – Trombone (Tracks 3, 4, 7, 8, 12)
Bud Shank - Alto sax (Tracks 3, 4, 7, 8, 12)
Stan Getz – Tenor sax (Tracks 3, 4, 7, 8, 12)
Jimmy Giuffre – Baritone sax (Tracks 3, 4, 7, 8, 12)
Ted Nash – Flute, tenor sax (tracks 6, 9, 11)
Lou Raderman, Eudice Shapiro – Violin (tracks 6, 9, 11)
Virginia Majewski – Viola (tracks 6, 9, 11)
Ray Creamer – Cello (tracks 6, 9, 11)
Dorothy Remsen – Harp (tracks 6, 9, 11)
Shelly Manne – Drums (tracks 6, 9, 11)
Cool Heat
13. Mack The Knife
14. Easy Come, Easy Go
15. Orphan Annie
16. You’re A Clown
17. Gone With The Wind
18. Hooray For Hollywood
19. It Had To Be You
20. Come Rain Or Come Shine
21. Hershey Bar
22. A Lover Is Blue
23. My Heart Belongs To Daddy
24. The Way You Look Tonight
Jimmy Giuffre – Tenor sax, baritone sax, arranger
Frank Rosolino – Trombone
George Morrow- Bass
Mel Lewis - Drums
Lester Robinson – Trombone (tracks 13, 15, 17-19, 21, 23, 24)
Art Pepper – Alto sax (tracks 13, 17, 21,23)
Richie Kamuca – Tenor sax (tracks 13, 17, 21,23)
Jim Hall – Guitar (tracks 14-16, 18-20, 22, 24)
Gil Falco – Trombone (tracks 15, 18, 19, 24)
Conte Candoli, Tommy Reeves, Jack Sheldon – Trumpet (tracks 15, 18, 19, 24)
Jazz On A Summer’s Day
25. Sweet Georgia Brown
26. Tea For Two
Jimmy Jones – Piano
Whitey Mitchell – Bass
John Poole - Drums
CD2
Incomparable
1. It Could Happen To You
2. Blue Champagne
3. Avalon
4. Old Devil Moon
5. The Party’s Over
6. Why Shouldn’t I?
7. Easy Living
8. Can’t We Be Friends
9. Slaughter On 10th Avenue
10. If I Love Again
11. Speak Low
12. Indian Summer
Anita O'Day –Vocals, probably with:
Al Porcino, Ray Triscari, Conte Candoli, Lee Katzman, Stu Williamson – Trumpet
Bob Edmondson, Lew McCreary, Frank Rosolino – Trombone
Kenny Shroyer – Bass trombone
Joe Maini, Charlie Kennedy – Alto sax
Bill Perkins, Richie Kamuca – tenor sax
Jack Nimitz – Baritone sax
Lou Levy –Piano
Al Hendrickson – Guitar
Joe Mondragon – Bass
Mel Lewis – Drums
Bill Holman - Arranger
Waiter, Make Mine Blues
13. That Old Feeling
14. Angel Eyes
15. The Thrill Is Gone
16. Detour Ahead
17. Yesterdays
18. Waiter, Make Mine Blues
19. Whatever Happened To You
20. When Sonny Gets Blue
21. Stella By Starlight
22. Mad About The Boy
23. A Blues Serenade
24. Goodbye
Anita O'Day – Vocals
Russ Garcia – Arranger
Probably Bud Shank – Alto sax, flute
Harry Betts, Dick Nash, Frank Rosolino, Dave Wells, Kenny Shroyer – Trombone (tracks 13, 15-18, 21, 22, 24)
Kenny Shroyer – Bass trombone (tracks 13-16, 21-24)
Geoff Clarkson – Piano (tracks 13, 15-18, 21, 22, 24)
Al Hendrickson – Guitar (tracks 13, 15-18, 21, 22, 24)
Al McKibbon – Bass (tracks 13, 15-18, 21, 22, 24)
Mel Lewis – Drums (tracks 13, 15-18, 21, 22, 24)
Barney Kessel and/or Howard Roberts – Guitar (tracks 14, 19, 20, 23)
Unknown – Piano, bass, drums, string section
I have already reviewed the previous set of “Four Classic Albums” from Anita O’Day, and there’s another double CD called “Five Classic Albums Plus” on the way. Even I, a great fan of Anita O’Day, am in danger of becoming sated with
these reissues.
Of course, Anita became iconic when she appeared at the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival wearing a huge feathery hat and singing (and scatting) memorably on Sweet Georgia Brown and Tea For Two. I suspect that some jazz fans will buy this double album mainly for these two tracks, as they are so
perfect that O’Day’s whole reputation can safely stand just on them. Sweet Georgia Brown begins slowly, with tom-toms atmospherically accompanying
her seductive vocals. Then she breaks into a more assertive but still slowish rhythm. The tempo doubles briefly before an impressive climax. Tea For Two is even more startling: taken at a hectic tempo, as Anita plays games with the phrasing. Jimmy Jones’ piano solo is followed by the
scatting O’Day and her favourite drummer, John Poole, exchanging fours. Anita closes the performance with a cheeky coda that shows how in tune she is with
her backing trio. It differs radically from the ending of the same song on the first LP.
One may be tempted to say “Follow that!” after such a magnificent performance. Indeed, it’s hard for many of the other recordings on this compilation to
match the magic of Newport. Partly this is down to most of the tracks being pre-arranged: on the first LP by Buddy Bregman; on the second by Jimmy Giuffre;
then by Bill Holman; and finally Russ Garcia. The trouble with a free-spirited vocalist like Anita O’Day being accompanied by arranged groups is that they
often reduce the amount of improvisation or interplay that is possible. Some of the backing groups are virtually big bands, which also limits Anita’s
freedom. This is especially true of the Incomparable album, where an 18-piece band threatens to swamp Anita’s voice.
I have never been inclined to accuse O’Day of faulty intonation, but her pitching wanders on a few of these tracks. For example, her singing wordlessly in Slaughter On Tenth Avenue is a valiant attempt but it doesn’t quite come off. On the fourth LP, the arrangement of Yesterdays is
stifling, and Anita sounds uncomfortable. This track jumps on my copy – and there is also the mysterious fact that the previous track also jumps, while Yesterdays keeps returning unasked to Detour Ahead!
To add to my discontent, the titles from the Pick Yourself Up LP appear in a different order from that listed on the sleeve. For instance, the
title-track is fourth on the CD but fifth in the listings. And the personnel details need a degree in mathematics to work out, particularly with their
multiple errors and their microscopic typeface. Frankly, the personnels are a mess. I have done my best to correct them, although they may still not be
right.
Let’s leave it by saying that I have encountered better Avid albums – and better O’Day collections (including the previous Avid reissue), although this one
admittedly contains two of the most thrilling tracks ever committed to record.
Tony Augarde
www.augardebooks.co.uk
CD Reviews
Avid AMSC 1126
