Caterina Valente Live 1968 CD & DVD [LIVE]

Caterina Valente

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 18, 2005)
• Original Release Date: October 18, 2005
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Live
• Label: The Orchard
• ASIN: B000BRP2FK
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #207,346 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Editorial Reviews

About the Artist
CATERINA VALENTE - A VOCAL SUPERSTAR IN ANY LANGUAGE! (1987) The Los Angeles Times said it, and who are we to argue? In 1954 the italian born singer Caterina Valente introduced herself to European audiences with her recordings of Istanbul and I love Paris. In 1955 Gordon McRea presented her on the Colgate Comedy Hour as the Malaguena Girl. This was followed by the worldwide hit The Breeze and I. Las Vegas critics raved about the extraordinary talent of the young European vocalist who could sing in 12 languages and she soon found the spotlight on TV, at the Hollywood Palace and Dean Martin was so impressed he invited her on his TV show at least a dozen times. Danny Kaye, Perry Como and Bing Crosby often featured her as well, along with other TV hosts. In The Entertainers aired in 1964/65 she shared the bill with Carol Burnett, Dom DeLuise and Bob Newhart and was awarded the FAME Award as best vocalist on American television. From the mid fifties to the eighties German, Italian, Swiss and Austrian Television produced more than a dozen series of Valente-Shows and her guest spots over the globe are uncountable. Among others, she has performed with Louis Armstrong, Benny Goodman, Ella Fitzgerald, toured extensively in concert with Woody Herman, the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, Buddy Rich and has recorded with Sy Oliver, Claus Ogerman and Chet Baker just to name a few. Born in Paris of Italian parents, once married to a German then to an Englishman Caterina Valente easily related to fans wherever she performed, particularly in Europe. She stormed the charts in Germany with Ganz Paris träumt von der Liebe and Tipitipitipso becoming the queen of German Schlager. In Italy romantic ballads like Nessuno al mondo and Till brought he gold records. The Grand Prix du Disque was her award in France for Bimbombey and she topped the charts in the US and the UK with the before mentioned Malaguena and The Breeze and I. She starred in 12 European movie-musicals; she dances (less exuberantly since undergoing two major hip operations); and is a virtuoso on the guitar, having strummed the instrument in an orchestra when only a teen-ager. Major awards from Italy, Germany (2 crosses of merit), France (officer of artistic education), Brazil, Japan as well as the USA (including a best female vocalist Grammy nomination) document her artistic and civil achievements throughout the years. But she considers the 18 concerts sharing the stage of the Olympia in Paris with Michel Legrand in 1972 as well as the album VALENTE 86 with the Count Basie Orchestra and relative 1986 European Tour under the direction of, and with arrangements by Thad Jones, to be her artistic highlights. In 1986, her 50th anniversary in showbusiness was celebrated with a televised tribute entitled Bravo Caterina, and the Guiness Book of World Records recognized her as Europes most successful female recording artist, with over 1350 albums to her credit. Girltalk her latest album of newly recorded material with harpist Catherine Michel was released to international critical acclaim in 2001. On January the 14th 2006 Caterina will be celebrating her 75th birthday and to the dismay of major European TV-stations and the print media, she has expressed the whish to keep this occasion absolutely private! But with the publication of the never before released unedited-concert recording used for the famous Heidelberg TV Special including the restored video on DVD of the same special which premiered on CBS in 1969, fans and friends all over the world will once again be spellbound by the magic of this great entertainer!

Product Description
Few, even among the celestial ones showcased in Vegas, reveal such proficiency along with special magic! (VARIETY, USA) A bundle of high velocity talent neatly wrapped and electrically charged! It would be well for some of todays aspiring distaff performers to catch a master at work! (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, USA) In 1969 the Caterina Valente from Heidelberg TV-special premiered on CBS to rave reviews. Produced by Erik van Aro Sr. and directed by Michael Pfleghar, Caterina Valente showed her stuff, and she has a lot to show. The opening number What a night this is going to be is a rouser. A singer who can swing and scat like a jazz pro, Caterina keeps things on the upbeat most of the way. Her very talented Brother Silvio plays a key role in her act, first coming on as her clarinet soloist in Air Mail Special and then matching her singing, dancing, guitar and tambourine playing in a bossa nova classic. Since the show was form Heidelberg, she went to the streets with legendary Hollywood choreographer Nick Castle as the two of them danced through the city a la An American in Paris. Caterina is a performer who knows her music, as she displayed flawless movement in time with the orchestrations, animating herself with expressive, perfectly timed hand movements. Her voice is clear and vibrant and a perfect delight to hear. The audience remembered her Malaguena and The breeze and I which sound even better now than when she first did them and they were at the top of the charts. Caterina Valente Live 68 contains one DVD with the restored verison of the Heidelberg Special and one CD with the unedited integral concert recording which was used for the special, including previously unreleased material like The girl from Ipanema, So, whats new, The party is over and the unedited complete Beatles-medley, that were not shown in the special! It has been said by critics and audiences alike, that Caterina on stage is the best Valente you can get! So for those of you who have enjoyed her on stage, here is a beautiful reminder of her extraordinary talent and for those of you who have not been so lucky, this is your moment to discover Caterina Valente at her best!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally!!!!! , October 20, 2005

By	Peter L "Peter" (New York) - See all my reviews

I've seen the tv-special and caught her act at the Flamingo in Vegas in the late 60ies and was mesmerized by hear talent and vitality!
For anyone who wants to experience this legendary performer at her absolute peak, do not miss this extraordinary package(strange that it is not mentioned here that it contains 1 DVD and 1 CD!!!)
In the same league as Sammy Davis Jr.! (Did they ever perform together???)

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 5 stars is not enough!, January 9, 2006

By	Tomasino (Hollywood California) - See all my reviews

Skip everything else, and get this while you can. It's the famed "Caterina from Heidelberg" TV special that aired in 1968, and we are unlikely to experience ANYTHING like this again. Thanks to Caterina's son, this is finally available. Caterina Valente's incredible here--this bundle of so much talent doesn't come around often. A unique performance from a unique performer. In a previous review I had had problems with the DVD playing here in the United States, but it was my player, an older (circa 1997) DVD player. The DVD plays perfectly on the new player--it is PAL format, but not region coded. The sound on the CD is brilliant stereo. I couldn't be happier with this product.

5.0 out of 5 stars Phantastic!!!, May 27, 2008

By	Pär Jorsäter "parjor" (sweden) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This show is absolutely anbelievable. I just can't believe that so much talent can be holded in one person. I JUST CAN*T BELIEVE IT. I've just seen the show. Just give me some time to get over it, please.