Young Anita [Box set, Import]

Anita O'Day | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 28, 2001)
• Original Release Date: 1941
• Number of Discs: 4
• Format: Box set, Import
• 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: Proper Box UK
• ASIN: B00005BCFR
• Also Available in: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #138,839 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. All Reet

2. Georgia on My Mind

3. Fool Am I

4. Let's Get Away from It All

5. Just a Little Bit South of North Carolina

See all 23 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. Fightin' Doug MacArthur

2. That's What You Think

3. Barrelhouse Bessie from Basin Street

4. Deliver Me to Tennessee

5. Massachusetts

See all 22 tracks on this disc

Disc: 3

1. Them There Eyes

2. Memories of You

3. How Come?

4. I Can't Believe That You're in Love with Me

5. Ain't Misbehavin'

See all 22 tracks on this disc

Disc: 4

1. How High the Moon

2. I Ain't Gettin' Any Younger

3. Malaguena

4. Key Largo

5. Malaguena

See all 22 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews

Anita O'Day is the epitome of a jazz singer. A fearless performer and a vocal risk-taker, In other words a true jazz singer. This box set features her early adventures with Gene Krupa, Stan Kenton and her first solo sides, fresh and invigorating. This box features 89 tracks and includes a 52 page illustrated booklet that tells her story and provides track and session details as well as including many archive images. Tracks include: 'Georgia on my Mind', 'Let me Off Uptown', 'Bolero at the Savoy' and 'Tennessee Waltz'. Four standard jewel cases housed in a slip-box. 2001 release.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great music at a low price, July 11, 2001

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Young Anita (Audio CD)

It would be difficult to find a better deal for a jazz fan. Compilatons for artists of the stature of Anita are usually much more expensive. Anita O'Day's early recordings have been difficult to find and when available have been costly. This 4 CD set brings together all her comercial recordings from the 40's with a few air-checks and alternate takes.

Anita O'Day is probably best known for her solo career in the 50's, 60's and 70's when she created a style of singing that is still being immatated. Her early recordings show that in her younger years as a big band singer she had as strong an influance on that era as she did in later years. She was one of 4 or 5 female vocalists who defind the the big band style. During the time of these recordings, she was THE big band singer. She was the coolest, the hippest, the swingingest, the brattyest, and the one who taught everyone how to sing a fast song with style and without sounding rushed. You can easily hear this on "Green Eyes" where another singer sings the first chorus in a tense rushed manner, to be followed by Anita at a faster tempo but sailing through it like a cloud on a summer's day. Even Ella Fitzgerald, although promising, was still too young at that time to be at Anita's level. Anita's recordings with the Krupa band are some of the hottest of the big band era. These CD also cover the beginning of her solo career, and the emergance of an even more interesting and intimate style that was to facinate audiences in the 50's 60's and 70's. This collection shows that Anita was always a great artist, even in the beginning of her career, and the price of the collection makes it an unbelievable steal.

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One-stop shopping for early Anita!, August 25, 2004

By 

C. Fischer (Bloomington, IN United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Young Anita (Audio CD)

Having owned several expensive French imports for the various years of early Anita O'Day performances, I can say that the Proper Box set is an incredible value. They have taken almost all of her early performances with various small groups and large bands (including Krupa, Kenton, and Basie!) and put them all in one place, in chronological order and with decent sound. What's more, they put out an excellent booklet, with biography, photos, and complete discocraphy...kind of a mini-mosaic! Unlike some of her later, more sophisticated (and occasionally flat) performances, she is heard on these discs with a slightly less husky voice and always spot-on in tune and musically swinging.

As another viewer has pointed out, this set contains material that has fallen out of copyright while the artist is still living and she won't receive any royalties from this issue. I suggest he send her a check to salve his conscience and then go back to enjoying the music! Proper has done other great box sets of Django Reinhardt, Fats Navarro, Charlie Parker, and Bud Powell among others and I say more power to them! Another british company, JSP, offers similar box sets with remastering and extensive documentation and Mosaic, the leader in this field actually buys limited copyrights from the parent labels. If you can afford it, Mosaic puts out the highest quality sets.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great music, great price!, November 18, 2004

By 

synthdrug "drugmaker" (Redwood City, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Young Anita (Audio CD)

I purchased this box set with very little prior knowledge of this genre of music and I am extremely pleased with it. I played this at my workplace and many of my coworkers complimented the music. Some people might criticize the albums' quality of sound but I think that's just part of the allure -- to give you that "old-time" feel. It's a great starter set at a great price. This music lifts the spirits and makes a room smile!