| Anita O'Day and Billy May Swing Rodgers and Hart | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1960 | |||
| Recorded | June 6–8, 1960 | |||
| Genre | Vocal jazz | |||
| Length | 29:33 | |||
| Label | Verve | |||
| Producer | Norman Granz | |||
| Anita O'Day chronology | ||||
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Anita O'Day and Billy May Swing Rodgers and Hart is a 1960 studio album by American jazz singer Anita O'Day, arranged by Billy May. O'Day and May had previously recorded an album dedicated to a single composer, Cole Porter, in 1959. [1]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [1] |
| The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings | [2] |
| The Virgin Encyclopedia of Fifties Music | [3] |
In a review for AllMusic, John Bush wrote: "Broadway fans could understandably fear that O'Day and May would pulverize the waltzing balladry of Rodgers as well as Hart's intricate wordplay. They should have realized that, like the breakneck yet technically perfect performances of bop originators Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, O'Day would miss no subtleties -- and would probably add some of her own -- while she graced these energized versions of American pop classics." [1]
The authors of The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings remarked that the album "starts on a wild high... and just goes on from there." They commented: "O'Day is a natch for Hart's clever lyrics and multiple rhymes and there isn't a poor track on it." [2]
Marc Myers, writing for All About Jazz, called the album a "gem," and stated that it "intermingles ferocious band arrangements and tender string charts on some of the American Songbook's most novel tunes. In nearly every case, O'Day's interpretation is bursting with peppery swing and cool seduction... every track on Rodgers and Hart is an stunning knockout." [4]
All music composed by Richard Rodgers, all lyrics by Lorenz Hart.
Edward William May Jr. was an American composer, arranger and trumpeter. He composed film and television music for The Green Hornet (1966), The Mod Squad (1968), Batman, and Naked City (1960). He collaborated on films such as Pennies from Heaven (1981), and orchestrated Cocoon, and Cocoon: The Return, among others.
"Lover" is a popular song composed by Richard Rodgers with lyrics by Lorenz Hart. It was sung in the movie Love Me Tonight (1932) by Jeanette MacDonald.
Sinatra Swings is an album by Frank Sinatra with Billy May and his Orchestra, released in 1961.
Ella in Budapest is a live album recorded in 1970 by Ella Fitzgerald, accompanied by the Tommy Flanagan trio, sound engineering by Jozsef Dudas. The album remained unreleased until 1999 when it was issued by Pablo Records.
Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Rodgers and Hart Song Book is a 1956 studio album by the American jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald, with a studio orchestra conducted and arranged by Buddy Bregman, focusing on the songs written by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart.
"Little Girl Blue" is a popular song with music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Lorenz Hart, published in 1935. The song was introduced by Gloria Grafton in the Broadway musical Jumbo.
"Falling in Love with Love" is a show tune from the Rodgers and Hart musical The Boys from Syracuse, where it was introduced by Muriel Angelus. The musical premiered on Broadway in 1938. The song is set to a waltz, but the lyrics "remind his [Hart's] listeners of the show's skeptical tone".
Anita O'Day Sings the Winners is a 1958 album by Anita O'Day.
"I've Got Five Dollars" is a 1931 popular song composed by Richard Rodgers, with lyrics by Lorenz Hart for the musical America's Sweetheart (1931) where it was introduced by Harriette Lake and Jack Whiting.
"Spring is Here" is a 1938 popular song composed by Richard Rodgers, with lyrics by Lorenz Hart for the musical I Married an Angel (1938), where it was introduced by Dennis King and Vivienne Segal.
"Johnny One Note" is a 1937 show tune from the 1937 Rodgers and Hart musical Babes in Arms, where it was introduced by Wynn Murray. Judy Garland sang it in the Rodgers & Hart biopic Words and Music (1948).
"It Never Entered My Mind" is a show tune from the 1940 Rodgers and Hart musical Higher and Higher, where it was introduced by Shirley Ross.
Taking it to Hart is a 1996 studio album by Ian Shaw, focusing on the songs written by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart.
Anita O'Day Swings Cole Porter with Billy May is a 1959 studio album by Anita O'Day, of songs written by Cole Porter arranged by Billy May.
Anita O'Day at Mister Kelly's is a 1958 live album by Anita O'Day, recorded at Mister Kelly's in Chicago.
Rules of the Road is a 1993 studio album by Anita O'Day.
"Whisper Not" is a composition by Benny Golson. It is in a minor key and contains a shout chorus. Golson's account of writing the piece is that "I wrote it in Boston at George Wein's Storyville club when I was with Dizzy Gillespie's big band. I wrote that tune in 20 minutes." Some sources indicate that the first recording was by Gillespie, while others indicate that trumpeter Lee Morgan was first.
Songs for Hip Lovers is a 1957 vocal album by the jazz bandleader Woody Herman, arranged by Marty Paich.
The Hawk in Hi Fi is an album by saxophonist Coleman Hawkins with an orchestra arranged and conducted by Billy Byers. It was recorded in early 1956 and released on the RCA Victor label.
Music for Loving is an album by American jazz saxophonist Ben Webster with tracks recorded in 1954 and released by Norgran in 1955. The album was reissued in 1957 by Verve as Sophisticated Lady. In 1996 Verve released a double CD compiling the album with another Norgran LP, Music with Feeling, and one by Harry Carney, Harry Carney with Strings which was first released by Clef.
