The latest collection from UK-based AVID Records covers the most popular living vocalist and obscure piano players.
The story on Tony Bennet used to be that he didn’t make hit albums; he made a hit catalogue. This first album in the catalogue from 1960 is a collection of ballads backed by strings conducted by Frank DeVol. Bennett serves up arias on “September Song”, “April In Paris” and “Autumn Leaves”. His next album goes to the opposite extreme, with a duet with long time pianist Ralph Sharon for gorgeous reads of “I’m Through With Love” and “Where Or When”, rivalling his set with Bill Evans. The next year was a biggie for Tony Bennett, first with Ralph Burns’ orchestra in a slightly swinging mood on “You Took Advantage of Me” and getting romantic on “My Ship”. Next year, he hit the jackpot with the gazillion seller “I Left My Heart In San Francisco”, and the rest of the album is no slacker, either, with a hip take of “The Best Is Yet To Come” and a definitive “Love For Sale”. Tony hits the big time!
Blues piano legend Roosevelt Sykes is teamed up with drummer Jump Jackson, Frank Ingalls/g, Clarence Perry/ts and Floyd Ball/g for a well recorded 1960 blues fest that includes a classic take of “Drivin’ Wheel” as well as a fun loving “Set The Meat Outdoors” with some nice fingerwork on “Stompin’ the Boogie”. Willie Dixon teams up with Memphis Slim for a dark hued 1959 session that is long on casual atmospheres. You get some grey smoke rings on “Move Me” and foreboding shadows on “Don’t You Tell Nobody”. In 1969 Sunnyside Slim digs dep with King Curtis/ts, Leonard Gaskin/ b, Belton Evans/dr and Robert Banks/org for a low ceilinged R&B session with riveting takes of “Shake It”, “Decoration Day” and “The Devil Is A Busy Man”. Otis Spann’s classic 1960 session is like the taproot of rock and roll, and it rolls on “The Hard Way”, “Great Northern Stomp” and the long shadowed “Otis In The Dark”. A trip to dark alleys.