Customer Reviews

Billy May Sessions

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"The Billy May Sessions" gives you 21 tracks on disc one (59:00 mins) and 19 tracks on disc two (50:00 mins)...the finest vocals by anyone in musical history...the sound is marvelous mono on the first 14 tracks and the balance in digitally remixed stereo...there should have been more like this, but this is it, so cherish the moment...listening to Nat though, is always great...he had a tenderness in his voice, completely flawless...he could never deliver a bad tune...his style and signature of making a song his own has never been duplicated...within this two disc album are songs that date back to September 1951 and finish November 1961...some are timeless and remain classics, while others are songs that have never seen the light of day...but this release is a dream come true...more selections from the greatest entertainer of our time...cause Nat King Cole rules.

You can't go wrong with any of Cole's albums that are now on CD...many are hard-to-find and some not well known...highlights and stand outs are the entire album with the first part of the disc outstanding in every department.

ANGEL EYES (Dennis Adair)
BLUE MOON (Rodgers/Hart)
CAN'T I? (Leroy Lovett)
DON'T GET AROUND MUCH ANYMORE (D. Ellington/B. Russell)
DON'T TRY (M. Watts/R. Moseley)
I'M HURTIN' (Skeets McDonald)
JUST FOR THE FUN OF IT (alt. take) (A. Jackson/L.B. Harte)
LET'S MAKE MORE LOVE (unknown)
LOVER COME BACK TO ME (Romberg/Hammerstein)
ONCE IN A WHILE (M. Edwards/B. Green)
PAPA LOVES MAMBO (Hoffman/Manning/Reichner)
SEND FOR ME (Ollis Jones)
SONG HAS ENDED (I Berlin)
TEACH ME TONIGHT (Cahn/DePaul)
THESE FOOLISH THINGS (Strachey/Link/Marvell)
WALKIN' (Mary Lou Williams/Lindsay Steele)
WALKIN' MY BABY BACK HOME (Turk/Ahlert)
WHAT DOES IT TAKE (Burke/Van Heusen)
WHO'S SORRY NOW (Snyder/Kalmar/Ruby)
WITH YOU ON MY MIND (Nat Cole/Charlotte Hawkins)
YOU'LL NEVER KNOW (Warren/Gordon)

Please remember, when it comes to interpretation and expertly performed, Nat is the master at his craft...the one and only king of interpretation...no other singer in the business had the warmth that this man gave during a performance or recording session...along with Frank Sinatra, Cole built the Capitol Towers and brought them fame and fortune...Nat King Cole in my estimation did more for Capitol Records than any other recording artist of that time (and that my friend is saying something), but it is gospel.

Second disc of the album has the following tunes:
BIDIN' MY TIME (George & Ira Gershwin)
COLD, COLD HEART (Hank Williams)
A COTTAGE FOR SALE (W. Robison/I Conley)
EBONY RHAPSODY (Arthur Johnston/Sam Coslow)
DAY IN, DAY OUT (R. Bloom/J. Mercer)
I SHOULD CARE (Weston/Stordahl/Cahn)
I UNDERSTAND (M. Wayne/K. Gannon)
I'M GONNA SIT RIGHT DOWN AND WRITE MAYSELF A LETTER (F. Ahlert/J. Young)
JUST FOR THE FUN OF IT (A. Jackson/I. B. Harte)
JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS (Cole Porter)
LET'S FACE THE MUSIC AND DANCE (I. Berlin)
MOON LOVE (David/Kostelanetz)
THE PARTY'S OVER (Styne/Comden/Green)
RULES OF THE ROAD (Cy Coleman/Carolyn Leigh)
SOMETHING MAKES ME WANT TO DANCE (C. Romoff/D Meehan)
TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE (Arthur Kent/Jerry Grant)
WARM AND WILLING (McHugh/Livingston/Evans)
WHEN MY SUGAR WALKS DOWN THE STREET (Austin/McHugh/Mills)
WHEN YOUR LOVER HAS GONE (E. A. Swan)

Brilliant counter melodies interwoven with lingering arrangements by Billy May that instantly became classics...beautiful and heartfelt ballads with classic orchestrations...featuring Nat's original style are simply captivating...with tender lyrics that bring two lovers together...Nat sings this from the heart and you're loving it...throughout the evening sample this with your favorite partner...as Nat completely takes charge savoring wonderful memories of the good times.

Nat was awarded a posthumous plaque to the Rock 'N' Roll Hall of Fame, naming him one of the major early influences on rock 'n' roll...they'll never be another pass this way again...thank you Captiol for this release of Nat "King" Cole for the decades of music that followed...his songs will remain with us always and forever...just the way we like 'em!

Total Time: 2-CD-Set ~ Capitol/Blue Note 89545 ~ (9/4/1993)

Cole's voice was always a smooth and refined one for jazz. May's arrangements were always full of life from blaring brass to slurping saxes. This 2 CD set compiles all their tracks and it is a complete winner. Kudos to the remastering team who make these recordings sound as fresh now as they were 40 years ago. If you love Cole and great big band arrangements, then look no further.

As a Nat Cole fan of many years I've just received this marvellous double CD and given it a spin. That velvet voice still hits the spot and guarantees to leave you feeling warm inside. If you sit back and listen and soak up Nat's singing fabulously accompanied by Billy May's hard swinging band your spirits will just soar with joy. I own numerous Nat Cole recordings and this is the best yet! You owe it to yourself to buy it!

One word best describes this 2-CD set from Capitol Records: Tasty. The unforgettable Nat King Cole teamed up with arranger and conductor Billy May on several occasions during his long tenure with Capitol. Besides the hit single, "Walkin' My Baby Back Home," and various other sides the two collaborated on, this set includes both concept albums: JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS (1957) and LET'S FACE THE MUSIC! (1963). May, known for his witty and bouncy arrangements, suited Nat well in the recording studio. [Capitol's other star artist, Frank Sinatra, used the capable talents of May on three of his concept albums.] Diversity is shown best here. The duo's earliest recordings only served as a stepping stone to bigger and better things. By the time JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS came around, stereo was the new medium and the concept album served its listeners well by setting a particular mood. Basically, all of the songs were joined together and similar in context. Nat had just recorded the lushly-orchestrated LOVE IS THE THING with arranger and conductor Gordon Jenkins when his next concept album came about. Comparing the two is next to impossible. Whereas LOVE IS THE THING is full of strings and heartfelt emotion, JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS is a real swinger. The orchestra jumps to his singing, almost testing just how far he can carry himself. Leave it to Nat to do just that. LET'S FACE THE MUSIC! is no less impressive than its predecessor. Not only does Cole sing, but he also plays the organ on a few of the tracks. Some 35 years later, daughter Natalie took her father's instrumental from "Let's Face the Music and Dance" and added it to her own version of the same song. Nat and Billy. Two of a kind. Tasty.

Even though these tracks were recorded in the early 1950's before the advent of Stereo, they still sounded amazingly fresh and alive. Whoever did the digital remastering on this set deserves a special accolade. They did a wonderful restoration job. There are an incredible number of really fine songs in this collection. I am so pleased I got it; and I highly recommend it to Nat King Cole fans and to those who might be interested in becoming one.

Nat Cole and bandleader Billy May weren't regular collaborators a la Frank Sinatra and Nelson Riddle. But when they got together during the 50s, the results were first-class. On this collection, they not only click, but they cook.

Cole proves that he can wrap his warm, near-perfect voice around a song at any tempo. And May's band and arrangements prove a near-perfect complement to Cole's voice, in songs like the mid tempo "Walkin' My Baby Back Home," the moody "Angel Eyes" and the near-frenetic "Just One of Those Things."

Cole and the band really shine in "When My Sugar Walks Down The Street" and Hank Williams' "Cold, Cold Heart" (with Cole soloing on organ). They're both songs that swing, with a groove that is squarely "in the pocket."

You can also hear the evolution in Cole's voice...from the smooth, boyish soulfulness of of "Walkin' My Baby Back Home," to the smoky world-weariness of "Rules of the Road." And the pop/R&B hit "Send For Me" proves that Cole could sparkle even when he dipped his toes into mid-50s rock.

For his part, May, known for sometimes bombastic arrangements, proves adept at knowing when to let the trumpets scream, or the saxes swoon, or just let the band do a slow burn behind Cole.

Flat-out good music...from two absolute pros and a fine band.

You will love this collection. With the exception of the first eleven songs on this two-CD set, these are two very successful Nat King Cole/Billy May albums put together, with a few bonus cuts: JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS (1957) and LET'S FACE THE MUSIC! (1961). Billy May brings out Nat's playful side, whereas Nelson Riddle and Gordon Jenkins played up his tender romantic side. Even the love songs have a certain spice to them. Lots of horns, jazzy kicks and fun arrangements became Billy May's trademark, and with Nat's vocals wrapped all around them, it's truly a treat for the ears. My favorite tracks are: "Send For Me", "With You On My Mind (written by Nat and his sister-in-law Charlotte Hawkins Sullivan)", "Don't Get Around Much Anymore", "Blue Moon", "These Foolish Things", "I Should Care", "A Cottage For Sale", "The Rules Of The Road", "I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself A Letter" and "Too Little, Too Late", even though everything on this two-CD set will have you tapping your foot, bobbing your head, and snapping your fingers. For those who love Nat's musician side as well (like me!), check out "Cold, Cold Heart", which is a swinging remake of the country song; "When My Sugar Walks Down the Street", "Let's Face The Music And Dance", the afore-mentioned "Too Little, Too Late" and "Moon Love", where Nat plays the organ (the only recorded tracks ever on which he did this). This CD is for the ultra-cool in you! Do yourself a big favor and get it.

I was inspired to purchase this because of a review I read, and it exceeded expectations. This is a Nat Cole that many have forgotten or don't know, but it is Nat Cole at his best. His piano his lively, his voice vibrant, and his accompaniers in the pocket. Combined with his teaming with the great Billy May it makes this a classic for all to own.

You can bet that anything with these two greats together can not be anything other than first-rate, and know you'll never lose. This set is just about the best 2CD package out there in any genre.Every number here swings, usually at a mellow pace,sometimes a lot harder. The brassy arrangements, Billy's trademark, are always just about perfect. And there are many tunes here that are not over-recorded over the years! Oddly, there are a few slightly du-op types here, but that was part of the scene in the 50's. My Favorites: EBONY RHAPSODY- an uproarious lark based on one of Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsodies-guarantee this will be a favorite:ANGEL EYES, with some muted horns, a nice contrast to Frank's more famous version,maybe even more noir here;WALKIN MY BABY BACK HOME, fun for all ages; JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS an adreneline-filled version; JUST FOR THE FUN OF IT, which could have been this CD's other name!; DON'T GET AROUND MUCH...a fine version of this old Ellington standard; The SONG IS ENDED,which thankfully is not the case here; THESE FOOLISH THINGS,dating from 1920's England,here without doubt my favorite version,(and this is usually a string-filled ballad!);COLD,COLD HEART ,but they're all great! This further shows Nat as among the very greatest songsters ever,and he plays some nifty organ here from time to time too!

It swings. I dare you to put this on and NOT sing along. I love to turn this one up and dance around the house. You'll dig it. Do it.