Mabel Mercer Sings Cole Porter

Mabel Mercer | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 21, 1994)
• Original Release Date: 1956
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Rhino / Wea
• ASIN: B0000033AI
• Also Available in: Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #275,647 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Marvellous Mabel, January 13, 2000

By 

Timothy Blake (London, UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mabel Mercer Sings Cole Porter (Audio CD)

I am crazy about this album. I didn't know Mabel Mercer until I heard a song on the radio recently and bought this album (which does not contain the song that led me to her in the first place). The delivery is so simple - you might almost imagine at times that it's hardly sung at all - but listen a few times and it gets right under your skin. And what colour and inflection on the words (which are always crystal-clear). The heart-break on the final 'goodbye' in Every Time We Say Goodbye; the infectious leaping joy on the words 'gossamer wings' in Just One of those Things which makes you just grin and hug yourself. Every song (and they are marvellous songs) contains moments like these. Why oh why are there so few of her albums re-released? Perhaps since it is her centenary this year they'll do some more. Let's hope so.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant selection of Porter songs sung with unique style, June 25, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (New York, New York (Where else?)) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mabel Mercer Sings Cole Porter (Audio CD)

If you were too young to hear Mabel Mercer sing in an intimate nightclub setting--she was performing until the early l980's (her early 70's)--this is the only CD (shame on you, Atlantic) available of this unique artist. Mabel was singing Cole Porter songs when they were new in the l930's, and Mr. Porter considered her-- along with Bobby Short--to be the best interpretors of his music. Frank Sinatra openly admitted learning much about musical phrasing from this very special artist. Each song is almost spoken rather than sung, and listen to "Experiment" to understand how each becomes what Porter intended--a wise, witty lesson in life for the sophisticated student of love's strange way of levelling the playing field for even the smartest and most over-privileged among us.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazingly delightful, September 24, 1999

By 

I should be at the gym (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Mabel Mercer Sings Cole Porter (Audio CD)

I'm surprised that there are so few Mabel Mercer recordings out there. Frank Sinatra called Mabel Mercer nothing less than, "the greatest cabaret singer of all time." Her sensual, intelligent, unique, and somewhat "spoken" style of singing is perfect for interpreting lyrically clever or involved songs, as were most of Porter's songs. (And some of the BEST of Porter's stuff is on this CD.) At the time of this recording Mercer was already quite old and, frankly, past her prime. BUT HER MAGIC IS STILL EVIDENT--VERY! Any Porter or Mercer fan must have this great CD.