Customer Reviews

Irving Berlin: 100 Years

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Well, it's just as I remembered it from my old cassette version, but now I don't need to wind the tape or flip it over! Otherwise, it's the same as the tape: great Berlin songs, brought to life by some of the most famous voices...Fred Astaire does his best version of "Cheek to Cheek", Dinah Shore for me *defines* the number "Doin' What Comes Naturally", and I much prefer Barbara Streisand's rendition of "What'll I Do"...this isn't some definitive collection, but it's a rock-solid introduction to one of America's most beloved classic composers!

Scarf up a used copy when there is a cheap one available. Good quality recordings from Sony. Sony would do well to re-release these recordings. Maybe as part of a multi-disc Irving Berlin collection.

3. Say It Isn't So - Sung by Connee Boswell was my introduction to Connee Boswell's voice. For that alone, this album was a stand-out experience for me.

20. What'll I Do - Sung by Judy Holliday was a revelation. I knew Holiday from her movie comedies, but to discover that she was also an interpretive singer who could hold her own with any saloon singer or torch singer. Wow. Just, "Wow!"

Since that revelation when I first dug these grooves in the 1990s, I recently saw Judy in the musical film adaptation of what the DVD extras informed me was her hit stage musical, Bells Are Ringing (part of the Classic Musicals Collection - Broadway to Hollywood). What a talent!

4. I Love A Piano - Played and Sung by Arthur Schutt is quirky and utterly charming.

I only recently discovered that this was part of the Judy Garland film heritage (Easter Parade, which I saw for the first time only very recently; I recommend it) and is also on CD (Judy Garland - Quadromania - Over the Rainbow; also recommended).

I only this past month discovered Schutt was part of the piano jazz of the 1920s (some free 1920s tracks here - www.redhotjazz.com/schutt.html), just now found out he played and recorded with Frankie Trumbauer, Bix Beiderbecke, Red Nichols, The Dorseys, Benny Goodman, Bud Freeman, et al.; and under his own name in 1929-30 as a bandleader.

8. Harlem On My Mind - Sung by Ethel Waters is her classic hit that I glommed to years before in vinyl. It musically references Cab Calloway's Minnie the Moocher. Such a great recording!

13. This Year's Kisses - Sung by Billie Holiday is perfection. Wistful. Longing. Sad. Soulful. Sweet.

21. Irving Berlin Medley - instrumental by Andre Kostelanetz & His Orchestra serves its purpose by giving us a taste of other hits that they could not fit onto one disc. My fave is the taste of "This is the Army, Mr. Jones."

The rest of this album is top-notch in every way, and you cannot go wrong with the songs.

Irving Berlin, the dean of American song- writers wrote over one- thousand published songs in his life. Yet as with everything most of these are not remembered today, and Berlin is known today for a few dozen major songs. Among those included here are 'Cheek to Cheek' 'Easter Parade' ' White Christmas' 'Alexander's Ragtime Band'.'I've Got my Love to keep my warm' 'Always' 'What'll I do'.

However a number of his greatest songs are not included, and among them perhaps the most famous one of all, the song many have thought should be the national anthem, "God Bless America'

The singers and the arrangements here are not in every case the best, but Fred Astaire in 'Cheek to Cheek' is unbeatable.

The songs included are:

Let Me Sing And I'm Happy - Ben Selvin & His Orchestra 2. Puttin' On The Ritz - Jan Garber & His Greater Columbia Recording Orch.

3. Say It Isn't So - Connie Boswell

4. I Love A Piano - Arthur Schutt

5. Face The Music Medley - Victor Young And The Brunswick Orchestra W/Bing C.

6. Mandy - Eddie Cantor

7. Easter Parade - Gene Austin 8. Harlem On My Mind - Ethel Waters

9. Alexander's Ragtime Band - Boswell Sisters With The Dorsey Brothers Orchestra 10. Cheek To Cheek - Fred Astaire Listen Listen Listen

11. Let Yourself Go - Bunny Berigan And His Orchestra 12. Remember - Red Norvo And His Orchestra Listen Listen Listen

13. This Year's Kisses - Teddy Wilson And His Orchestra W/ Billie Holiday

14. I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm - Red Norvo And His Orchestra W/ Mildred Bailey

15. How Deep Is The Ocean - Benny Goodmman And His Orchestra W/Peggy Lee Listen Listen Listen

16. Doin' What Comes Naturally - Dinah Shore 17. Always - Tony Bennett Listen Listen Listen

18. You're Just In Love - Rosemary Clooney And Guy Mitchell Listen Listen Listen

19. White Christmas - Johnny Mathis

20. What'll I Do -