From Broadway to Bebop

Susannah McCorkle | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 24, 1994)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Concord Records
• ASIN: B0000006ND
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #272,505 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Guys & Dolls

2. Once You've Been In Love

3. Chica Chica Boom Chic

4. My Buddy

5. It's Easy To Remember

6. Don't Fence Me In

7. One Of The Good Girls

8. I Don't Think I'll End It All Today

9. Moody's Mood

10. He (She) Loves Me

11. Friend Like Me

12. I Remember Bill

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The CD I will remember her by, May 24, 2001

By 

"lbeaton" (Windsor, Ontario, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: From Broadway to Bebop (Audio CD)

Her sparkling intelligence, honeyed voice, and above all her flawless taste made Susannah McCorkle a singer to treasure, and when I learned of her untimely death, _From Broadway to Bebop_ was the CD I turned to. Knowing the circumstances of her death, of course, no one can escape the pat irony of track 8 ("Away with the Seconal / The fall from the building tall"), but to listen to this album in its entirety is to experience a formidable singer and interpreter of songs at the height of her powers.

The title says it all: over the course of twelve tracks, Susannah McCorkle gives us something of everything and leaves us wanting more: the Broadway belting of "Guys and Dolls", the intimate croon of "I Remember Bill" and "Once You've Been In Love", the Brazilian swing of "Chica Chica Boom Chic", and when I listen to her scat on "Moody's Mood" I swear I can hear a bop saxophone playing in unison. Often sweet but never cloying, admirably precise but never precious, Susannah's voice was a quiet rebuke to the many prodigiously talented show-offs (Whitney, Mariah, Celine) who couldn't tell a good song from a bad if their lives depended on it; and her respect for the material an equal rebuke to singers (Barbra) for whom songs are mere vehicles for their own egos.

"Nights are long since you went away, I think about you all through the day... Miss your voice, the touch of your hand ... Your buddy misses you." Indeed.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars the best cuts sparkle, June 23, 2000

By 

Steven R. Becker (Columbus, OH USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: From Broadway to Bebop (Audio CD)

Many of the cuts on this CD are fabulous. My favorite rendition of Guys and Dolls. She likes to do ALL the lyrics and it makes songs more fun. The others listed artists bought tend to be more jazz like (Patrica Barber, Karrin Allyson,Diana Krall) are not nearly so Broadway like and IMHO not nearly as good as Susannah McCorkle. I love "friend like me" (from Aladin). Fun to listen to.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Yet another classic from Susannah, April 9, 2004

By 

Peter Durward Harris "Pete the music fan" (Leicester England) - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: From Broadway to Bebop (Audio CD)

Susannah established a reputation as a distinctive interpreter of the Great American Songbook and this is one of many albums that provide the evidence.

As ever, there is a mix of famous and obscure. The set opens with Guys and dolls, the rousing title song from the show of the same name - but with slightly different lyrics. Next, for a total contrast, is Once you've been in love, an outstanding ballad written by Alan and Marilyn Bergman with music by Michel Legrand. This is followed by a whole series of classic songs - Chica chica boom chic (generally associated with Carmen Miranda), My buddy (a number one hit in 1922 for Henry Burr), It's easy to remember (a number one hit in 1935 for Bing Crosby) and Don't fence me in (a number one hit in 1944 for Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters), though you won't mistake Susannah's version of Don't fence me in for any other.

The only original song here, One of the good girls, is excellent. Susannah never recorded many original songs but always chose them well. I don't think I'll end it all today was written by E Y Harburg, who wrote the songs for Wizard of Oz. Susannah recorded a whole album of his songs (Over the rainbow, well worth listening to as I indicated in my review of it) so he was clearly one of her favorites. Four more great songs including Moody's mood complete this wonderful album, ending with I remember Bill, a tribute to Bill Evans.

Susannah always recorded brilliant albums and this is yet another example.