AVID Jazz presents four classic Anita O’Day albums plus, including original LP liner notes on a finely re-mastered and low priced double CD. For our fourth set from our top selling artist Anita O’Day we have squeezed four albums plus seven singles onto a fine double CD set for your listening pleasure!
“Anita O’Day and Billy May Swing Rodgers & Hart”; “Anita O’Day & The Three Sounds”; “Anita O’Day Sings The Winners”; “Time For Two” plus seven singles.
It’s that magic combination again for our first selection, recorded in L.A. in June 1960, Anita O’Day joining forces again with top arranger Billy May to sing songs from one of the great American songbooks, “Anita O’Day and Billy May Swing Rodgers & Hart”. As quoted from the original liner notes, “when Anita O’Day joins with Billy May to get off a dozen Rodgers & Hart standards, both singer and arranger-conductor rely on their ingenuity to show what can be done with show music“. “Anita O’Day & The Three Sounds” came together in 1962, after Ms O’Day had been out of a semi-retirement and back on the circuit, including the legendary Newport appearance, since around the late ‘50’s. The Three Sounds , Gene Harris on piano, Andrew Simpkins on bass and Bill Dowdy on drums were formed in South Bend in 1958 and had played with the likes of Lester Young, Al Hibbler and Sonny Stitt. Here they are heard both backing Ms O’Day in New York and on four instrumentals recorded in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey around October 1962. “Anita O’Day Sings The Winners” features Ms. O’Day with not one but two orchestra’s! Recorded at Radio Recorders in L.A. on 2nd April 1962 she can be heard with the Russ Garcia Orchestra. The next day, same venue, she can be heard with the Marty Paich Orchestra! Here’s a quote from the original liner notes, “Anita’s tribute to the poll winners, an album suggested by Norman Granz……represents further irrepressible proof that she is singing better than she ever has”. And just a word about the helpers!! “Anita was unusually pleased with both arrangers…..the co-ordinator Barney Kessel….and even the engineer…. she accoladed…Mr. Bones”. For our final selection “Time for Two” Anita is heard from Hollywood, California in February 1962 where she joins up with vibist Cal Tjader’s Latin orientated quartet for “a combination of deftly played jazz on a foundation of pulsating Latin percussion”.
All four albums have been digitally re-mastered
CD1
1-12: ‘Anita O’Day And Billy May Swing Rodgers And Hart’
1. Johnny One Note
2. Little Girl Blue
3. Falling In Love With Love
4. Bewitched
5. I Could Write A Book
6. Have You Met Miss Jones?
7. Lover
8. It Never Entered My Mind
9. Ten Cents A Dance
10. I’ve Got Five Dollars
11. To Keep My Love Alive
12. Spring Is Here
13-22: ‘Anita O’Day & The Three Sounds’
13. When The World Was Young
14. Someday My Prince Will Come
15. All Too Soon
16. My Heart Stood Still
17. My Ship
18. Leave It To Me
19. Whisper Not
20. Blues By Five
21. (Fly Me To The Moon) In Other Words
22. You And The Night And The Music
23. And Her Tears Flowed Like Wine from 1940’s singles
24. How Come? from 1940’s singles
25. Skylark from 1940’s singles
26. Thanks For The Boogie Ride from 1940’s singles
CD2
1-12: ‘Anita O’Day Sings The Winners’
1. Take The “A” Train
2. Tenderly
3. Night In Tunisia (Love Was Just An Interlude)
4. Four
5. Early Autumn
6. Four Brothers
7. Sing, Sing, Sing
8. My Funny Valentine
9. Frenesi
10. Body And Soul
11. What’s Your Story, Morning Glory
12. Peanut Vendor
13-24: ‘Time For Two’
13. Thanks For The Memory
14. It Shouldn’t Happen To A Dream
15. Just In Time
16. Under A Blanket Of Blue
17. That’s Your Red Wagon
18. Peel Me A Grape
19. An Occasional Man
20. The Party’s Over
21. I Believe In You
22. Mr. Sandman
23. Spring Will Be A Little Late This Year
24. I’m Not Supposed To Be Blue Blues
25. Let Me Off Uptown from 1940’s singles
