Customer Reviews

Sammy's Back on Broadway

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Years ago, I was driving down Seventh Ave in Lower Manhattan heading toward the Holland Tunnel for the trip back to Jersey. WNEW played "Look at that Face" from this set, and I immediately detoured to a used record store (the album was out of print then) to pick up a copy of this recording. I was that impressed! I recognized the work of arranger Claus Ogerman ('Sinatra & Jobim' etc) and Sam's in excellent form as you would expect. In the original liner notes, it stated that when composer Richard Rodgers heard the arrangements of two of his tunes from his 1965 Musical "Do I Hear a Waltz" - 'Take the Moment' and the title tune - he sent a wire to Sammy and expressed his utter joy with these recordings. How true, and that's quite a compliment coming from the not-so-easy-to-please Rodgers. On that note, for an equally excellent comparison and a definitive example of musical cadence, I suggest you also check out Tony Bennett's 'Take the Moment' recorded only a few months earlier in 1965 on his "Songs For The Jet Set" album. Dick Rodgers owed them both a thank you note for their marvelous interpretations of this tune.

I had a similar experience, having first heard "A Wonderful Day Like Today" on my car radio on WNEW soon after its release in 1965. I was in my late teens at the time, and that song, along with similar themed contributions from Peggy, Lena, Frank, Tony, Dino, and others began what for me would be a long love affair with both WNEW and the music of Sammy Davis, Jr.. Pity that today Sammy is remembered primarily for "The Candy Man" and his association with the Rat Pack -- there was so much more to him than that. Sammy could not only sing with the best of them, he was also a consummate dancer and a truly talented impressionist, right up there with Gorshin and Little. He could have made a successful career of any one of those endeavors. When I first heard that this album had been reissued on CD, I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. Since then, I have given several copies to my friends. For me, Sammy Davis, Jr. was the most talented entertainer who ever lived.

Sammy brings his own unique style to these tunes from Broadway. Just hearing his voice coming out from my DVD player in the car makes any ride more enjoyable and reminds me why I rarely play the radio anymore.

A great repetoire by a great entertainer with crisp tone quality and a dynamite opener.