The Best of the Definitive American Songbook: I-Z

Various Artists (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 2, 2003)
• Original Release Date: 2003
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Capitol
• ASIN: B0000AQS3S
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #112,265 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Night And Day - Frank Sinatra

2. Stardust - Nat 'King' Cole

3. Satin Doll - Nancy Wilson

4. Misty - Johnny Mathis

5. It Had To Be You - Kay Starr

6. Over The Rainbow - Judy Garland

7. Tenderly - Rosemary Clooney

8. On The Street Where You Live - Dean Martin

9. Someone To Watch Over Me - Linda Ronstadt

10. They Can't Take That Away From Me - Billie Holiday

11. My Funny Valentine - Chet Baker

12. These Foolish Things - Dinah Washington

13. Stormy Weather - Lena Horne

14. One For My Baby (And One More For The Road) - Lou Rawls

15. Where Or When - Dick Haymes

16. That Old Black Magic - Louis Prima & Keely Smith

17. It's Only A Paper Moon - Ella Fitzgerald

18. Just One Of Those Things - Peggy Lee

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good collection, but not definitive...., October 3, 2003

By 

Mr. Stanley M. Schmidt "boymitch" (Rockford, IL) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Best of the Definitive American Songbook: I-Z (Audio CD)

Short review here...

After listening to this set of two discs (A-I and J-Z), I was really pleased with the cross section of artists they served up. I was not real happy with the song selections though. There are far, far better songs done by each artist that could more effectively capture what this set was trying to accomplish.

I do have one serious critique of disc A-I: what were they thinking when they put Willie Nelson's "Blue Eyes" on there??? I started to sing that Sesame Street song "One of these is not like the other...". Maybe it was an error or oversight, but either way, detracted from the disc.

This collection will take you back to the yesteryears, but other recordings can do it much better.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Fund Selection of Recordings, October 12, 2007

By 

chiguyct "chiguyct" (Ridgefield, CT USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Best of the Definitive American Songbook: I-Z (Audio CD)

These tracks were clearly chosen by someone who loves this music. The repertoire is familiar, but the recordings are mostly ones I have not heard before. It's Judy Garland on "Over the Rainbow," but an older Judy, not the track from the movie. And Dean Martin singing "On the Street Where You Live?!" Much more fun to hear than I would ever have imagined. If you want a fresh look at some of your favorite tunes, I can recommend this collection.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars ANYTHING BUT DEFINITIVE!, September 28, 2005

By 

Clarke Dunham "Broadway Scenic Designer" (Pottersville, NY United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Best of the Definitive American Songbook: I-Z (Audio CD)

This may look like a great buy, but in fact these are for the most part second rate performances that don't do the songs or their historical period justice. Many sound like they're off the cuting room floor and others are simply "filler".