Mel Torme And Cleo Laine

14 Great tracks from two superb singers... scatting and improvising as only they can !!

The two tune medley is definatley something to shout about !!

Dame Cleo Laine, Lady Dankworth DBE (born Clementine Dinah Bullock; 28 October 1927) is an English jazz and pop singer and an actress, known for her scat singing and for her vocal range. Though her natural range is that of a contralto, she is able to produce a G above high C, giving her an overall compass of well over three octaves. Laine is the only female performer to have received Grammy nominations in the jazz, popular and classical music categories. She is the widow of jazz composer and musician Sir John Dankworth.

Melvin Howard Tormé (September 13, 1925 – June 5, 1999), nicknamed "The Velvet Fog", was an American musician, singer, composer, arranger, drummer, actor, and author. He composed the music for "The Christmas Song" ("Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire") and co-wrote the lyrics with Bob Wells.From 1942 to 1943, he was a member of a band led by Chico Marx of the Marx Brothers.  In 1943, Tormé made his movie debut in Frank Sinatra's first film, the musical Higher and Higher. His appearance in the 1947 film musical Good News made him a teen idol.

In 1944, he formed the vocal quintet Mel Tormé and His Mel-Tones, modeled on Frank Sinatra and The Pied Pipers. The Mel-Tones, which included Les Baxter and Ginny O'Connor, had several hits fronting Artie Shaw's band and on their own, including Cole Porter's "What Is This Thing Called Love?" The Mel-Tones were among the first jazz-influenced vocal groups, blazing a path later followed by The Hi-Lo's, The Four Freshmen, and The Manhattan Transfer.

          8. Birdsong

         13. I Don't Think I'll Fall In Love Today

Cecile McLorin Salvant

Another great singer that I have not heard before....from  the present era... 21st century

 Cécile McLorin Salvant (born August 28, 1989) is an American jazz vocalist. She was the winner of the first prize in the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition in 2010, releasing her first album, Cécile.

This work is an acoustic jazz with a piano trio of French jazz musicians, clarinet and tenor, and jazz guitar. Her songs are included in a little retro and spring-perfect little performance, and it is a very good work that takes up standards such as Cole Porter and Irvin Berlin, and the repertoire of Ella, Billie Holiday and Bessie Smith. A 21st century female singer who strongly feels the influence of the great jazz singers of yesteryear.

1. Exactly Like You

2. Moody's Mood For Love

3. I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm

4. i Got It Bad And That Ain't Good

5. Social Call

6. Detour Ahead

7. No Regrets

8. Frosty Morning Blues

9. Easy To Love

10. I Wonder Where Our Love Has Gone

11. Anything Goes

12. After You've Gone

She enjoys popularity in Europe and in the United States, performing in clubs, concert halls, and festivals accompanied by renowned musicians. Salvant has performed at jazz venues and festivals including Ronnie Scott's, the Newport Jazz Festival in Rhode Island, and the Village Vanguard.

In 2010, Salvant released her first self-titled album, Cécile & the Jean-François Bonnel Paris Quintet. Soon thereafter, at the age of 21, she went on to win the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition for vocalists. Her first-prize win included a recording contract with the label Mack Avenue Records, with whom she released her next two albums. 

         12. After You've Gone

Maysa

 A singer that is new to me from Brazil with a great soulful voice full of emotion!..defiantly one to get to know !......Not to be confused with Maysa Leak  American Jazz singer and a member of the British Band "Incognito"

Maysa Sings Songs Before Dawn is the ninth studio album by Brazilian singer Maysa, released and produced in 1961 in the United States, while Maysa toured the country. In the same year it was also released in other Latin American countries, but the order of the songs changed and their titles were translated into Spanish. In Argentina and Uruguay the album was called Maysa and in Peru, Maysa Matarazzo. The album was never released in Brazil, making its existence a myth.

1. You Better Go Now

2. Something To Remember You By

3. The End Of A Love Affair

4. A Noite Do Meu Bern

5. If I Forget You

6. Ne Me Quitte Pas

1.When Your Lover Has Gone

2. Mean To Me

3. The Man That Got Away

4. Autumn Leaves

5. I'm A Fool To Want You

6. La Baca

Maysa Figueira Monjardim (June 6, 1936, São Paulo, Brazil – January 22, 1977, Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), better known as Maysa Matarazzo or simply Maysa, a Brazilian singer, songwriter, and actress. She had great success in the 1950s and 1960s, known especially for her pessimistic, hopeless, melancholic and dramatic lyrics and interpretations, She is also associated with bossa nova music, but is widely known as a torch song (fossa) interpreter,

being one of the precursors of the genre samba-canção,

In the late 1950s she formed a successful bossa nova group and also did television work relying on her magnificent pair of gorgeous green eyes.

She is known for Law of Desire (1987), O Camelô da Rua Larga (1958) and Esse Rio Que Eu Amo (1962). She was married to André Matarazzo. 

She died in a car crash in 1977, on the Rio-Niterói bridge, which connects the cities of Rio de Janeiro and Niterói over the Guanabara Bay.

         1. You Better Go Now

         6. Ne Me Quitte Par

Vic Damone

 A swingin' Vic Damone away from his MGM musical roles !

On the Swingin' Side is an unadulterated up-tempo delight that deserves to be rediscovered. The charts are bright, Vic Damone is relaxed but never dull, and the mood finds a nice balance between romance and spirited humor....... ( Review By Nick Dedina Of AllMusic)

1. Falling In Love With Love

2. Its Alright With Me

3. When My Sugar Walks Down The Street

4. Cry Me A River

5. Home

6. Swingin' Down The Lane

1. I Cried For You

2. Speak Low

3. It's A Wonderful World

4. Girl Of My Dreams

5. Deep Purple

6. Toot Toot Tootsie

Vic Damone (born Vito Rocco Farinola; June 12, 1928 – February 11, 2018) was an American traditional pop and big band singer, actor, radio and television presenter, and entertainer. He was best known for his performances of songs such as the number one hit "You're Breaking My Heart", and other hits like "On the Street Where You Live" (from My Fair Lady) and "I Have But One Heart".

In 1951, Damone appeared in two movies, The Strip, where he played himself, and Rich, Young and Pretty.In 1954 and made two movies, Deep in My Heart and Athena. In 1955 he played the Caliph in Kismet. In 1960, he played an effective dramatic role in the war film Hell to Eternity.

          3. When My Sugar Walks Down The Street

Dinah Washington

If you like Dinah then this is a treat... one of the best recording's of hers !!....including a extra  long version of Blue Skies as the last track

After Hours with Miss "D" is a 1954 studio album by Dinah Washington. 

One of her earliest Jazz session would be June 1954 sessions featuring Paul Quinichette, followed by some Blues/Popular sessions. Then in the middle 1954, she tried another great jazzy session. Among all recorded tracks, A-1 “Blue Skies” may be the best track - her emotional singing is awesome as always, while his backing musicians plays a good amount of solos which are also attractive. 

1. Blue Skies

2. Bye Bye Blues

3. Am I Blue

4. Our Love Is Here To Stay

5. A Foggy Day

1. I Let a Song Go Out Of my Heart

2. Pennies from Heaven

3. Love For Sale

4. Blue Skies

Dinah Washington (born Ruth Lee Jones; August 29, 1924 – December 14, 1963) was an American singer and pianist, who has been cited as "the most popular black female recording artist of the 1950s songs". Primarily a jazz vocalist, she performed and recorded in a wide variety of styles including blues, R&B, and traditional pop music, and gave herself the title of "Queen of the Blues". She was a 1986 inductee of the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993.She made her recording debut for the Keynote label that December with "Evil Gal Blues", written by Leonard Feather and backed by Hampton and musicians from his band,  Both that record and its follow-up, "Salty Papa Blues", made the Billboard "Harlem Hit Parade" in 1944. In December 1945 she made a series of twelve recordings for Apollo Records.

          4. Blue Skies

Dolores Gray

Now a sultry singer who has a voice similar to Julie London.....My memory of her was in the film Kismet..

Dolores Gray (born Sylvia Dolores Finkelstein; June 7, 1924 – June 26, 2002) was an American actress and singer. She was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Lead Actress in a Musical twice, winning once.Gray was briefly signed with MGM, appearing in Kismet (1955), It's Always Fair Weather (1955) and The Opposite Sex (1956).She appeared at the London Palladium in 1958 while doing a concert tour of Europe and in cabaret at The Talk of the Town in February 1963.

Apart from the many soundtrack albums she appeared on, Gray recorded one album of songs in 1957 for Capitol Records with the title Warm Brandy.......And here it is !!

1. Shangri La

2. Penthouse Serenade

3. You're Getting To Be A habit With Me

4. Kiss Me

5. How Long Has This Been Going On

6. Close Your Eyes

7. You Go To My Head

8. Do Do Do

1. Speak Low

2. Don't Blame Me

3. Isn't It Romantic

4. Your My Thrill

5. My Mama Likes You

6. I'm Innocent

7. Fools Errand

8. There'll Be Some Changes Made

                                           With Howard Keel....In Kismet

          6. Close Your Eyes

Tony Mansell's Coffee Set

 An easy listening L/P in the style of Ray Conniff & The Mike Sammes Singers. Not very much info on the net about these singers but they definatly do a great job...no photo's as well so front and back L/P  will have to do !

          5. Poinciana

Ray Anthony

 Although the back sleeve says an evening for dancing...it's much better for listening !!

Raymond Antonini (born January 20, 1922), known as Ray Anthony, is an American bandleader, trumpeter, songwriter, and actor. He is the last surviving member of the Glenn Miller Orchestra.

After the war he formed his own group. The Ray Anthony Orchestra became popular in the early 1950s with "The Bunny Hop", "Hokey Pokey", and the theme from Dragnet. He had a No. 2 chart hit with a recording of the tune "At Last" in 1952; it was the highest charting pop version of the song in the U.S......In the early 1980s, Anthony formed Big Band '80s, with other members of the band including Buddy Rich, Harry James, Les Brown, and Alvino Rey. 

1. Carnival Of Venice

2. La Paloma

3. Cielito Lindo

4. Rimpianto (Toselli's Serenade)

5. O'Marenarillo

6. O Maria

1. Villa Capri

2. Mattinata

3. Arrivederci Roma

4. Santa Lucia

5. Amore Mio

6. O sole Mio

          4. Santa Lucia

Caterina Valente

One of my favourite singers now from the 50's 

Caterina Valente (born 14 January 1931) is a French-Italian multilingual singer, guitarist, dancer, and actress. Valente is a polyglot; she speaks six languages, and sings in eleven. While she is best known as a European performer, Valente also spent part of her career in the United States, where she performed alongside Bing Crosby, Dean Martin, Perry Como, and Ella Fitzgerald, among others.

1. Temptation

2. If Hearts Could Talk

3. The Breeze And I

4. Malaguena

1. My Lonely Lover

2. Fiesta Cubana

3. This Must Be Wrong

4. The Way You Love Me

          2. If Hearts Could Talk

The Unusual One..1.

Tracks you probably have never heard off but are very unusual and is worth a download just to hear all the crazy tracks !!

This is a great selection and well worth a listen to..... if you like the weird and wacky stuff !!!..A1.!!..This one is courtesy of Littlegrey

 1. Highly Illogical......Leonard Nimoy

 2. 's Wonderful......Enoch Light

 3. I Hear A New World......Joe Meek & The Blue Men

 4. Mist O' The Moon......Harry Revel-Les Baxter-J Hoffman

 5. I'm A Yogo......The Free Design

 6. Chuncho (The Forest Creatures)......Yma Sumac

 7. Jungle Dreams (Canto Karabali).......Juan Garcia Esquivel

 8. Walking On The Moon......Lucia Pamela

 9. Mothra's Song......The Peanuts

10. Why Wait......Perez Prado

11. Fish......Leona Anderson

12. The American Metaphysical Circus......Joe Byrd & The Field Hippies

13. Alabama Song......Lotte Lenya

14. Perfidia......Korla Pandit

15. Black Is Black......Lord Sitar

16. Cried Cried......Walter Wanderley

17. Puehunguita Ven......Los Zafiros

18. The Third Man Theme......John Klien & Sid Ramin

19. There's A Little Spark Of Love Still Burning......Henry Burr

20. Paradise Found......Martin Denny

21. Uccidere Staker......Ella Guru & Assistant

22. At An Arabian House Party......Raymond Scott

23. Springtime For Hitler......Hennry Mancini

24. You'd Never Know The Old Place Now.......Jack Webb

25. A Disappointed Love With A Desensitized Robot......101 Strings

26. Papagayo......Les Baxter

27. Sayonara......Lata Mangeshkar

          1. Highly Illogical

          8. Walking On The Moon

The Hollywood Pops Orchestra

If you have a good stereo system then this is a great sound...definatly comes under my blogs name !!

1. Malaguena

2. Sabre Dance

3. Old Soft Shoe

4. Bats In The Belfry

5. Ghost Riders In The Sky

6. Voodoo Moon

1. Roller Coaster

2. Dizzy Fingers

3. Caravan

4. Flight Of the Bumble Bee

5. Beguine For Bongos

6. Ski Run

          2. Sabre Dance