Anita O'Day - The Chronological Classics, 2 Albums

Tracks:



The Classics volume on Anita O'Day covering 1945 through 1950 takes her through the first five years of her solo career -- after her breakout with Gene Krupa (and "Let Me Off Uptown"), but before the immense success of her Verve years. The only hit present is the bright novelty "Hi Ho Trailus Boot Whip," but fortunately O'Day didn't record many castoffs then; instead, par for the course during the late '40s was her bluesy romp version of "What Is This Thing Called Love?," another Cole Porter tune recorded at the same session. Her sweetly swinging versions of "Them There Eyes" and "I Told Ya I Love You, Now Get Out" are excellent, and the backing includes high-caliber musicians Benny Carter, Dave Barbour, and pianist/arranger Ralph Burns.

Anita O'Day 1945-1950

01 Them There Eyes Maceo Pinkard / Doris Tauber / William Tracey 2:41
02 Memories of You Eubie Blake / Andy Razaf 3:00
03 How Come ? Leon Rene 2:43
04 I Can't Believe That You're in Love With Me Clarence Gaskill / Jimmy McHugh 2:51
05 Sometimes I'm Happy Irving Caesar / Clifford Grey / Vincent Youmans 2:41
06 Ace in the Hole Lello Panico / Elmer Schoebel 2:58
07 What Is This Thing Called Love? Cole Porter 2:39
08 Hi Ho Trailus Boot Whip Buster Harding / Jack Palmer / Roger "Ram" Ramirez 2:28
09 It's Different When It Happens to You Nolan / Shaffer 2:59
10 Malaguena Ernesto Lecuona 2:54
11 I Told Ya I Love Ya, Now Get Out Benny Carter / Herb Ellis / Johnny Frigo 2:57
12 How High the Moon Nancy Hamilton / Morgan Lewis 2:53
13 I Ain't Gettin' Any Younger Benny Carter 3:03
14 Key Largo Lou Carter / Karl Suessdorf / Leah Worth 2:54
15 Jamaica Moon Joe Greene 2:26
16 Don't Kick It Around Joe Greene 3:25
17 So Much of Nothing' to Do Joe Greene 3:12
18 Poor Simple Simon Benny Carter / Joe Greene 2:34
19 Blues for Bojangles Chuck Darwin 3:12
20 Your Eyes Are Bigger Than Your Heart Chuck Darwin 2:39




Compilations abound that center on Anita O'Day's work of the '40s and early '50s, before she set about recording one of the liveliest string of LPs ever seen on the planet (from 1955's This Is Anita to 1962's That Is Anita). With 1950-1952, the seminal Classics label reissued a string of titles that haven't seen light very often, a selection of her recordings for labels including London, Clef, and Norgran (the last two were Verve-associated labels). While they stand nowhere near the twin pinnacles of her career -- her big-band heyday and her solo revival yet to come -- O'Day recorded much wonderful music during these two years. In 1952 alone, she recorded three excellent sessions (the final two-thirds of the program), including a swinging date with her Krupa bandmate Roy Eldridge in New York and a sublime Chicago appearance with Roy Kral.

Anita O'Day 1950-1952

01 Tennessee Waltz Pee Wee King / Redd Stewart 3:00
02 Yea Boo Micah Kassell 2:18
03 Something I Dreamed Last Night Sammy Fain / Herbert Magidson / Jack Yellen 3:11
04 If I Could Steal You from Sombody Else Redd Evans / Jack Gold 2:29
05 You Took Advantage of Me Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers 2:19
06 Once There Lived a Fool Willard Robison 2:58
07 I Apologize Al Goodhart / Al Hoffman / W. Nelson 3:03
08 Black Moonlight Sam Coslow / Arthur Johnston 2:44
09 Lovesick Blues Cliff Friend / Irving Mills 2:36
10 Lover, Come Back To Me Oscar Hammerstein II / Sigmund Romberg 2:26
11 Lullaby Of The Leaves Bernice Petkere / Joe Young 3:09
12 Rock and Roll Blues Anita O'Day 3:17
13 Love for Sale Cole Porter 3:36
14 No Soap, No Hope Blues Richard Adler / Jerry Ross 2:33
15 Speak Low Ogden Nash / Kurt Weill 2:35
16 The Lady Is A Tramp Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers 2:39
17 Strawberry Moon Bob Hilliard / Sammy Mysels 3:07
18 Pagan Love Song Nacio Herb Brown / Arthur Freed 2:39
19 Ain't This A Wonderful Day John Benson Brooks 2:40
20 Somebody's Cryin' Inez James / Buddy Pepper / Larry Russell 3:00
21 Vaya Con Dios (May God Be With You) Inez James / Buddy Pepper / Larry Russell 3:37