Songbook Collection [Box set]

Rosemary Clooney | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 26, 2000)
• Original Release Date: September 26, 2000
• Number of Discs: 6
• Format: Box set
• Note on Boxed Sets: During shipping, discs in boxed sets occasionally become dislodged without damage. Please examine and play these discs. If you are not completely satisfied, we'll refund or replace your purchase.
• Label: Concord Records
• ASIN: B00004YNEP
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #131,782 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mellow but brilliant set of oldies, December 18, 2002

By 

Peter Durward Harris "Pete the music fan" (Leicester England) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Songbook Collection (Audio CD)

Rosie recorded several songbook albums between 1980 and 1990 - six of them are collected together in this beautifully packaged box set. There are not many up-tempo songs here, but it does not matter because Rosie was such a great ballad singer.

The first CD focuses on the lyrics of Ira Gershwin. George composed the music for all except two of the songs, the exceptions being Long ago and far away (Jerome Kern) and The man that got away (Harold Arlen). Perhaps the best-known songs here are Fascinating rhythm and Nice work if you can get it.

Rosie raided Cole Porter's catalog to get the songs for the second CD. Perhaps I get a kick out of you is the best-known, but several of the others are not far behind.

The third CD covers the music of Harold Arlen. The most famous songs here are Ding, dong, the witch is dead (from Wizard of Oz) and Stormy weather.

The fourth CD is a tribute to Irving Berlin, which includes Cheek to cheek, There's no business like show business and Let's face the music and dance, together with several less well-known songs.

For the fifth CD, Rosie sings some of Johnny Mercer's great songs. By far the most famous here is I remember you, with which Australian singer had considerable success in the sixties (it was a number one in Britain).

Richard Rogers is the focus of the last CD, with lyrics by Hart or Hammerstein, of which The lady is a tramp is the most famous.

Of course, anybody with any knowledge of the Great American songbook will recognise a lot more songs than those I mentioned, but Rosie did not always record the obvious songs, so most people will find songs here that they haven't heard before. This is a truly magnificent collection which is essential for anybody interested in the Great American Songbook.

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "great lyric interpreter of the American Songbook", November 14, 2000

By 

J. Lovins "Mr. Jim" (Missouri-USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Songbook Collection (Audio CD)

Concord Jazz presents a major event from America's "girl singer", an enduring icon of traditional pop music, Rosemary Clooney entered a new artistic renaissance when she signed with Concord Records in the late '70s. Among Rosemary's many acclaimed recordings on the Concord label, where she continues to record to this day - is a special series of new-classic "songbook" albums. Six of those treasured albums are presented here, in their entirety, spotlighting Clooney's timeless vocal rendition of evergreen standards from the pens of great American composers - Ira Gershwin, Cole Porter, Harold Arlen, Irving Berlin, Johnny Mercer and Rodgers, Hart and Hammerstein. In their utter musicality, this collection occupies a plateau shared only with Ella Fitzgerald's "Songbooks" and Billie Holiday's legendary late-thirties performances with Teddy Wilson.

To spend more time with her family resulted in Clooney going into semi-retirement, but returned with a renewed power and confidence while making swinging-tour-dates around the country with her combo for Concord Records, and sounding better than ever. This collection is a treasurey of the greatest songwriters of our time, with the presence of a great interpreter, the "girl singer" - ROSEMARY CLOONEY!

Concord Jazz CCD6-4933...(6CD-Box-Set)...(2000)

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rosemary sings the song writers, March 21, 2002

By 

Ellen M Briggs (Fort Lauderdale, Florida United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Songbook Collection (Audio CD)

When I ordered this I was rather reserved since it was something that I had not heard all in one box set. There are 6 CD,s to this set and each one is the music of a different Song writer. What a plesure to sit down one Sunday morning and listen to this CD. Again, there is not enough room to tell you all the great songs, but if you like Rosemary Clooney, you'll love this one. She really is at her top form.