Customer Reviews

First Lady of the Hammond Organ: Plays Tico Tico [ORIGINAL RECORDINGS REMASTERED] 2CD SET

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This anthology from the Decca vaults shows the many sides of a true Popular organ VIRTUOSO. Her Latin American pieces are well represented as well as Standards, Blues, Hits, Swing and Novelty. Her impeccable technique served her great expressive and even comic skills. I saw her live and she was a ball of fire as these selections show. She was THE FIRST LADY OF THE HAMMOND ORGAN!!! Don't miss this trip down a wonderful Memory Lane!

This collection is a fine example of the very first Hammond Organ recordings, back at the 40'ies or so. The style on many of the tracks is the fundamental melody/chords/pedal, but Ethel also is very good at the latino american tunes, which she performs with excellent skill and feeling. The sound quality is acceptable for these early recordings and better than on the vinyl LP. This double CD is higly recommended for those who want to hear Hammond music from the beginning. Ethel Smith, may You forever stay in our Hammond memories.

I WAS SO GLAD TO LOCATE THIS CD AND AM USING SEVERAL OF THE CUTS FOR THE TAP CLASSES I TEACH - SUCH GOOD BEAT!!

This CD set certainly shows the versatility of Ethel Smith, although only a handful can truly be considered gems. There is certainly plenty here for the enthusiastic admirer, although more than a few tracks have become more campy with age. I eventually felt like I was trapped in a roller rink. Still, I definitely am pleased to have it in my collection.

A must have...check out Ethel's video on Turner Classic Movies in the film "Bathing Beauty"...she rocks!!

This is an excellent compilation of Ethel's work. Very good resurrection of the old vinyl -- nice! If you like Ethel Smith and need a decent representation of her work this set is for you!

Of course there's Tico Tico which is an amazing performance in it's own right. However, the entire two-CD set is pretty impressive. There were only a few selections that I could have done without and a few others that I would have liked to have had included. All-in-all, and excellent collection.

Recommended!

Overall a very good CD for passionate old Hammond music lovers. Some songs weren't arranged well, but most were. Her playing is very similar to that of Lenny Dee, but still has a taste of it's own. It's a shame she's no longer with us, I would love to have watched her play--the fingerwork is amazing.