Customer Reviews

20th Century Masters: Millennium Collection

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Sammy Davis Jr was an ENTERTAINER. American Idol just are singers, this was an all around entertainer..he sung, dances, joked and created magic with his talents.

This collection has his best vocal highlights like Birth of The Blues, Bonjangles, For Once in my Life/I gotta be Me, and Porgy & Bess Medley....and his worst highlights like Have a little time for myself, I am not anyone, and the Bland version of John Shaft (produced by Isaac Hayes). Then there is The Candy Man..lets not go into that one and say we did

However it is missing from this collection are Talking to the Animals, Begin the Begeen, Smoke that cigarette and In the Ghetto.

This is a Sammy overview, but it is good enough for an intro to the Davis legacy

Bennet Pomerantz AUDIOWORLD

While some of Sammy's best and most popular stuff is represented here, some of the worst, most derivative work is here, too.

Most conspicuously absent, for example, is any version of his groundbreaking "Birth of the Blues." There are many who cannot think of this song sung by others, yet it is not among the cuts here.

No, instead you get "John Shaft," which is lifeless and colorless, some gospel stuff, and "The Candy Man." It is really hard to discern what criteria the producers used to assemble this collection. It does not showcase Sammy's unique style or energy very well at all.

A good selection of songs by (in my opinion) one of the most underrated entertainers of the 20th century.
Buy,settle back and enjoy.!!

The CD arrived as promised, it was given to a DJ who plays our music for the Car Shows we have. thanks for making this music available to us. Love it.

This grab bag of Sammy's later recordings is a welcome complement to the few CDs of his available to us. Culled from Sammy's MGM recordings of the early 70's, this CD is a little skimpy (only 11 tracks) where there is much else to be enjoyed from that era (the masses, this music lover included, have clamored for Sammy's "NOW" and "SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE" albums from this era to be reissued for years) but will find great readings here from Sammy the Leslie Bricusse gem "I'LL BEGIN AGAIN" and the Paul Anka theme "I'M NOT ANYONE". Funkier grooves can be had as well here, with the theme from JOHN SHAFT and THE PEOPLE TREE, delivered as only Sammy Davis Jr. could.
The particular standouts here are one of Sammy's attempts at country music (which just goes to show how he was constantly on the prowl for, and usually conquered with a vengeance, new musical challenges and territories) in "I'D BE A LEGEND IN MY TIME", a fantastic reading from an otherwise obscure album Sammy did of other C&W tunes. The arrangement really supports Sammy well. And speaking of arrangements, get a load of the spectacular mini-masterpiece Sammy makes of the PORGY AND BESS MEDLEY. Being recorded for an album of songs from a TV Special Sammy did in 1973, you can see he still had a set of pipes on him at that time. Also from that LP included here is Sammy's version of the big Stevie Wonder hit (and later,adult contemporized flawlessly by Tony Bennett), "FOR ONCE IN MY LIFE". These two tracks were recorded as the special was being taped, but you'd never know it until the last minute when the audience comes in. One can only come to one conclusion for this: The audience was so mesmerized by Davis that they kept remarkably silent until the end. And knowing and appreciating Sammy's music as I do, that's my spin on it. You can't credit it to recording standards, for back in '73, who would have guessed these songs would ever see light of day via compact disc? Just my opinion though...We Sammy Davis Jr. fans can only hope that more of his music becomes available after all these years, but in the meantime, this CD, while not "essential" per se, will definitely give you the opportunity to hear some sides you haven't been able to (on compact disc) Enjoy it!