Rosemary Clooney - Sings Rodgers Hart & Hammerstein (1990)

Artist: Rosemary Clooney
Title Of Album: Sings Rodgers Hart & Hammerstein
Year: 1990
Label: Concord Records
Style: Jazz, Vocal
Format: FLAC(tracks +.cue, log + scans)
Bitrate: Lossless
Total Size: 321 MB (+ 3% rec.)
Rosemary Clooney continues her series of songwriter tributes with a set devoted to arguably the greatest melodist in American song, Richard Rodgers, and hsi respective lyricists Oscar Hammerstein and Larry Hart. It's actually quite a novel approach to feature Hart and Hammerstein lyrics on one CD, as most singers tend to focus on one or the other, but it's an idea that works well for Clooney, who has the measure of both lyrcists' styles.

The novelty on this record is the contribution of the LA Jazz Choir, a setup which will appeal to some listeners but leave others cold. They are, of course, an expert vocal group, but their appearances do somewhat distract from the Clooney sound. For me, however, it all works well, and on tracks such as "My Romance", where the motherly Clooney tone is suddenly succeeded by the whole choir, the effect is really lovely.

The other guest on this disc is trumpeter/singer Jack Sheldon, a forthright horn player in the Louis tradition who for my money seems less welcome than the Choir. His vocal efforts, while entertaining, seem somewhat brash when stacked up against Clooney's wonderful subtlety, and I can skip these tracks quite happily. Needless to say, the other regular Clooney/Concord guys play with all the finesse and beauty we have come to expect.

What makes the album an essential purchase for Clooney's fans is that it includes her interpretations of some of the very best songs ever written, and no great song ever suffered for having Clooney turn her voice to it. "It Might As Well be Spring" is a jewel of a song and Rosie is the perfect instrument for it, as is the case with "Little Girl Blue" and other ballads. She also makes a fine job of a lesser-known Rodgers/Hammerstein swinger "The Gentleman is a Dope", whose sardonic lyric finds its ideal interpreter in this particular vocalist (the more I listen to Clooney the more I feel she is a wonderfully witty singer, able to mine dry humour simply by the inflection of her voice - it's a rare gift).

Altogether, then, this may be an album somewhat flawed in execution, but I would still pay good money for the chance to hear one of the top singers of this repertoire put her stamp on these Rodgers masterworks. ~Amazon.com~

Tracklist:

01. Oh, What A Beautiful Morning 2:10
02. People Will Say We're In Love 4:51
03. Love, Look Away 3:42
04. The Gentleman Is A Dope 6:02
05. It Might As Well Be Spring 2:49
06. The Sweetest Sounds 6:17
07. I Could Write A Book 3:05
08. You Took Advantage Of Me 3:55
09. The Lady Is A Tramp 5:53
10. Little Girl Blue 4:29
11. My Romance 3:56
12. Yours Sincerely 3:13