AVID Jazz continues with its Four Classic Albums Plus series with a re-mastered 2CD release from Mavis Rivers, complete with original artwork, liner notes and personnel details.
“Take A Number”; “The Simple Life”; “Hooray For Love” and “Mavis” plus eight bonus tracks from the album “Swing Along With Mavis”.
FRANK SINATRA’S FAVOURITE SINGER!!
AVID Jazz are proud to feature a wonderful jazz singer who remained relatively unknown during her lifetime and perhaps had she not been born in Samoa, a fairly remote part of the world in 1929 could have potentially been one of it’s brightest stars. Mavis Rivers was born in Apia, Western Samoa in 1929, one of thirteen children and began her musical career singing in her father’s jazz band entertaining the American troops during World War 2 in Pago Pago, American Samoa. In 1949 her family moved to Auckland where she fell into a day job but continued playing in jazz bands around New Zealand. Her first recordings were on small labels like Tanza and later Zodiac before relocating to the U.S.A. in the 1953 to study. A short return home was followed by a more permanent move in 1955. By 1958 Mavis had signed to Capitol Records and went on to make three records with the label all included here on this fabulous set, the first of which “Take A Number” was arranged and produced by the legendry Nelson Riddle. In a later interview, Mavis confessed she was so overwhelmed to be recording with the great man, she would often just break down into fits of sobbing. By 1962, Mavis left Capitol with no hits but a growing reputation (as the new Ella!?) Legend has it that Frank Sinatra heard her at a club and immediately signed her to his new label Reprise. Here she made the classic “Mavis” album featuring such legendary musicians as Marty Paich arranging and producing, Bill Perkins -tenor, Bud Shank -alto, Al Porcino -trumpet, Stu Williamson- trombone, Vincent De Rosa -French horn, Red Callender-tuba, Joe Mondragon- bass and Mel Lewis-drums. This was followed by another great set with “Swing Along With Mavis” of which, due to timing constraints we have featured eight of the best cuts as bonus tracks. Mavis Rivers was never to reach the dizzying heights of fame as Ella or Billie or Sarah but she did get to play with Goodman, Norvo and Bob Crosby and duet with Frank on a Christmas album, (“those were nice times” she later said enigmatically!). Plans to record a hit single with Frank would later sadly fall through. She did however make some incredible jazz vocal albums, 4 ½ of which you can hear on this classic albums 2 x CD set! In later life she enjoyed playing live with her son, saxophonist and arranger, Matt Catingub reassuringly accompanying her at the piano and made her last appearance in New Zealand in 1990. As with all AVID releases, we hope you enjoy this classic set and check out our extensive catalogue for more great music across jazz, blues and many other musical genres.
Check out:- Julie London (AMSC1424 & 1356); Billie Holiday (AMSC1329); Nancy Wilson (AMSC1349); Dinah Washington (AMSC1367); Sarah Vaughan (AMSC1352); Dakota Staton (AMSC1259); Jeri Southern (AMSC1291); Nina Simone (AMSC1268); Helen Merrill (AMSC1337); Annie Ross (AMSC1015); Peggy Lee (AMSC1290); June Christy (AMSC1392 & 1305); Ann Richards (AMSC1239); Lambert, Hendricks & Ross (AMSC1320); Ernestine Anderson (AMSC1170); Teddi King/ Carol Sloane/ Morgana King (AMSC1154); Helen Humes (AMSC1397); Lurlean Hunter (AMSC1171); Abbey Lincoln (AMSC1302); Anita O’Day (AMSC1129); Della Reese (AMSC1295); Jo Stafford (AMSC1372); Lee Wiley (AMSC1113).
CD1
1-12: ‘Take A Number’
1. One Minute To One
2. Two Lovers Have I
3. Three Coins In The Fountain
4. Four A.M.
5. Five O’Clock Whistle
6. Six Lessons From Madame La Zonga
7. Seven-League Boots
8. Dinner At Eight
9. About A Quarter To Nine
10. On The Ten O’ Ten
11. At The Eleventh Hour
12. It’s Twelve O’Clock
13-24: ‘The Simple Life’
13. Walkin’ By The River
14. Give Me The Simple Life
15. Early Autumn
16. A Tree In The Meadow
17. In The Cool, Cool, Cool Of The Evening
18. Far Away Places
19. Home
20. At Sundown
21. Spring Is Here
22. Get Out And Get Under The Moon
23. Try A Little Tenderness
24. It’s A Great Feeling
25. Love You Madly from Swing Along With Mavis
26. Life Is So Peculiar from Swing Along With Mavis
27. On Second Thought from Swing Along With Mavis
28. Things To Do Today from Swing Along With Mavis
CD2
1-12: ‘Hooray For Love’
1. Hooray For Love
2. I Fall In Love Too Easily
3. Do You Love Me
4. Like Love
5. Speak To Me Of Love (Parlez Moi D’Amour)
6. There Is No Breeze (To Cool The Flame Of Love)
7. The Glory Of Love
8. You Don’t Know What Love Is
9. Love
10. In Love In Vain
11. Love Of My Life
12. Almost Like Being In Love
13-24: ‘Mavis’
13. Honeysuckle Rose
14. Day In, Day Out
15. There’s No You
16. Hurry Home
17. Candy
18. People Will Say We’re In Love
19. It Don’t Mean A Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)
20. A Sleepin’ Bee
21. You’d Be So Nice To Come Home To
22. All My Tomorrows
23. Massachusetts
24. Saturday Night (Is The Loneliest Night In The Week)
25. There I’ve Said It Again from Swing Along With Mavis
26. This Could Be It from Swing Along With Mavis
27. Can I Forget You from Swing Along With Mavis
28. Love And The Weather from Swing Along With Mavis
