Customer Reviews

Centennial Celebration

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Johnny Mercer wrote so much it's difficult to imagine that any single CD compilation could truly do him justice. For example, I would have liked to see "That Old Black Magic" on this album; and we don't find standards here that really should have been here including "Any Place I Hang My Hat is Home," "Dream," "Hit the Road to Dreamland" and "Come Rain or Come Shine." That's a disappointment; if you're going to celebrate Johnny Mercer's contributions to the arts this really should have been at least a two CD set. However, what we do get is first class material and the artists on this album deliver these numbers beautifully. The quality of the sound is excellent and the artwork is nicely done.

Chet Baker's "I'm Old Fashioned" is a stunning opener; the musical arrangement is pure elegance and Chet makes this shine with his sensitive, passionate delivery. Etta Jones sings "Trav'lin' Light" with panache and her excellent diction enhances her performance all the more. What a fine piano arrangement, too! There's yet another gem in "Days of Wine and Roses" and I also really like "Autumn Leaves (Les Fueilles Mortes)" performed wonderfully by Karrin Allyson.

Freddy Cole does "I Remember You" with style; the jazzy approach to this classic ballad works very well and "I Remember You" is a highlight of this album. "Blues in the Night" haunts me long after I've heard it; and Jane Monheit performs a gorgeous rendition of "Moon River."

"On The Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe" gets the royal treatment from Monica Mancini; that music fits perfectly with Monica's singing. Rosemary Clooney's performance of "Hooray for Hollywood" is another big highlight of this CD; what a fine musical interlude this number boasts! In addition, the CD ends with Mel Tormé singing "Ac-cent-tchu-ate the Positive" and Dianne Reeves' "One for My Baby" that Frank Sinatra always loved to sing. I think Sinatra and Johnny Mercer alike would surely have approved of Dianne's treatment of this song!

Get this for your library; but keep in mind that this is not exactly a complete retrospective. At roughly fifty-five minutes playing time they could have and should have thrown in a couple more songs! For fans who want a lot more there are box sets including The Complete Johnny Mercer Songbooks and Dream: The Lyrics and Music of Johnny Mercer. Other stronger single CDs include The Old Music Master and The Capitol Collectors Series' Johnny Mercer CD.