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From the very first notes this album whispers and shouts "coolness". Music can't be cooler than this. Anita O'day the coolest singer here sings over the sharp and minimalistic arrangements from Jimmy Giuffre another epitome of "California Cool sounds". It's an ethereal music, light and velvet sounding but with a particular "ice" quality. I think that some can become a little edgy listening to this album because it is "empty" and neurotic at some point. Some may find that this music touches their nerves a little bit ... and I can understand this. But for me here Anita sounds incredible with these very empty, "peculiar" arrangements. I find her association with Jimmy and the music they produced extremely elegant and beautiful. It's like a modern art masterpiece. It's something that want to communicate something different. It's not Caravaggio, it's more Jackson Pollock. It is a strange beauty the one Anita and Jimmy produced with this music, this is clear. It's like when you see a girl that it's not totally beautiful but it is intriguing, you feel she has a strong personality and she catches you, even if her face is not the perfect beauty of a supermodel but has some peculiarities that forms her irresistible charm. The beauty Anita and Jimmy created here is a sharp and angular beauty that can disconcert a little. But I think that if you know Jimmy Giuffre's ideas about music you can have a picture of the thing. Sum to Jimmy's charts, the strange repertoire they choosed and Anita which has a "strange", not totally easy musical personality of her own and the picture is clear I guess. Some say Anita sings differently here. I don't think so. She's still her, totally herself, it is the backing that is different, it's not Billy May, it's Jimmy Giuffre so its the overall sound that is different for her other records. If you prefer a more traditional reassuring orchestra sound I suggest you to buy the albums Anita recorded with Billy May (that are wonderful by the way). This is something different but I think it's a unique album in the history of Jazz music, it has tons of personality and I think it's a musthave for Anita fans (like myself).
I willingly paid $30-plus for a Japanese reissue of COOL HEAT alone in the early 2Ks. Now it's half the price with a further great album with Billy May tacked on JUST BECAUSE!
I can't see why any jazz or vocal fan should live without the O'Day two-fers dotting Amazon.com now. It's a SALE on classics that's got me ordering up for gifts!
There is nothing I can say that will convey the essence and character of this album better than the sound samples on this page. So, before I launch into gory details and assumptions give those a listen first.
If you liked what you heard from the samples, then a purchase decision becomes easy. If you are a hard core fan then you probably noticed an almost subdued or centered quality to her singing. It's as if she was harnessing her energy. Certainly that approach fit the songs on this album, but as far as I am concerned I am glad this was a short lived phase too. Don't get me wrong - I love this album and the way she approached each song. I was sincere when I gave it five stars. It's just that I much prefer Anita's more energetic, in-your-face rhythmic performances that are more characteristic.
Even Nat Hentoff in his original liner notes discussed the uncharacteristic performances. At the time he chalked it up to Anita maturing and changing. She did evolve and mature over the years, but this album is not a milestone. I believe the following factors have something to do with it:
(1) This album was sandwiched between the two Billy May albums, Anita O'Day Swings Cole Porter and Rodgers & Hart (I am citing a two album set that is value priced in case you do not have both of the albums.) Anita briefly discussed her clashes with Billy May who arranged those albums in Chapter XI of her autobiography, High Times Hard Times. She could have been simply worn down by clashes from the previous album and steeling herself for the next session.
(2) Most arrangers did not 'get' Anita's style and approach. Bregman's arrangements of her first two albums resulted in superb music, but he did not really 'get' nor make the best use of Anita's talents in my opinion. Jimmy Guiffre, on the other hand, understood Anita because he was a jazz musician himself (May and Bregman were not), so the arrangements on this album seem to be sensitive to Anita's unique approach to vocals. That said, Guiffre was a stalwart of the West Coast jazz movement, which may have cooled Anita down a tad on this album. Not necessarily a bad thing since she swings hard on every track, but different.
The session took place in in April, 1959, but this album was not released until 1960. I was unable to track down all of the musicians who backed Anita, but the ones I did manage to find were mainly Howard Rumsey's Lighthouse All Stars: Jimmy Giuffre & Art Pepper on Sax, Frank Rosolino on trombone, Conte Candoli and Jack Sheldon on trumpet, and Jim Hall on guitar. I have to guess the drummer and bassist. Possibly Stan Levey on drums and Rumsey himself on bass since they were Lighthouse All Stars. Those musicians were perfect for the arrangements, and equally perfect for the song selection.
The bottom line, of course, if the music itself. I personally loved each track, but some O'Day fans do not share my enthusiasm. That is fair because music is such a subjective thing with no single point of view being right. Listen to the sound samples and make up your own mind.
Anita o'day is one of the all time great jazz singers of her age. She held her own against Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan and her own idol Billie Holiday. What makes her so great is her built in sense of rhythm, speed and melody and an overwhelming distinctive vocal performance. When you hear Anita you know who it is. She is a singer who is not afraid to try new and unusual ways of phrasing songs and using dissonance to allow the listener to get a new feel for an old much loved song.
In Cool Heat she teamed up with an up and coming arranger Jimmy Guiffre and they produced an album which she loved, sadly he died tragically and they never teamed up again. What you get is Anita on top form singing some absolutely sublime songs which are 20th century standards. This is a very hot, cool album. A must buy. Anita o'day is one heck of a performer, can't beat her style, elegance and talent.
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