1931-34

Ethel Waters | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 13, 1994)
• Label: Jazz Chronological Classics
• ASIN: B000001NOG
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,142,932 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. River, Stay 'Way from My Door

2. Shine on Harvest Moon

3. I Can't Give You Anything But Love

4. Porgy

5. St. Louis Blues

6. Stormy Weather

7. Love Is the Thing

8. Don't Blame Me

9. Shadows on the Swanee

10. Heat Wave

11. Harlem on My Mind

12. I Just Couldn't Take It, Baby

13. A Hundred Years from Today

14. Come up and See Me Sometime

15. You've Seen Harlem at Its Best

16. Miss Otis Regrets

17. Dinah

18. When It's Sleepy Time Down South

19. Moonglow

20. Give Me a Heart to Sing To

See all 23 tracks on this disc

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Classic, but mannered jazz performances, November 7, 2002

By 

DJ Joe Sixpack (...in Middle America) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: 1931-34 (Audio CD)

This volume, gathering music from the years of Ethel Water's greatest commercial success, features her working with some of the top talent of the day, from Duke Ellington and Bunny Berigan to up-and-coming white swingsters like Benny Goodman and the Dorsey Brothers (who were still working mainly as session players...) Although she hits some sweet grooves on several songs, for the most part Waters sounds mannered and intentionally camp on most tracks, with plenty of odd vocal swoops and exaggerated, haughty-taughty enunciation. She covers a lot of great songs of the day, such as "I Can't Give You Anything But Love," "Stormy Weather" and an early version of "Heat Wave." But generally speaking, she doesn't exactly cut loose on the material the way other singers would. Humorous classy/crude contrasts were her schtick, but sound pretty dated now. Unless you're in the mood for kitschy, antiquated performances and old-fashioned Gramophone ambience, this disc may be hard to get into. Her jibes at Mae West in the break of "Come Up And See Me Sometime" are pretty funny, though.