If you’re looking for ladies that have been flowing under the radar, both past and present, heck out Spain’s premier label, Fresh Sound Records, and hear what’s not being heard…
The first collection is a pair of recordings by cabaret-voiced Tammy Burdett, done in 2007 and 2011. The first one has her with a team of Bob Strikland/tp-fh, Doug Reid/as, Eric Verlinde/key, Paul Gabrielson/b, MartyTuttle/dr, Jeff Busch/perc, Paul Green/harm and Leah Stilwell/voc on a collection that is heavy on the Latin/ Brazilian side. The percussion and keys simmer on “C’est La Vie” and “Follow the Swallow” as Burdett slinks around “A Broken Hart” and gets poppish on “You Bring Out the Lover In Me”. With the same horns, but with Marty Tuttle/dr, Kevin McCarthy/b and Andy Roben/key, she is breathy while sizzling on “Soft Shoe”, peppy on “Don’t Say You’re Hot When You’re Not” and in nightclub form on “I Love to Say I Love You” with a rich vibrato. Classy lass.
The next pair of albums feature ladies that created what used to be call “Mood Music”. Janis Paige sounds like she’s singing in a Teddy, cooing like Marilyn Monroe with Lew Douglas’ orchestra on a 1956 session that has her pouring out her heart on “I Hadn’t Anyone But You” and carrying a glowing torch on “Why Can’t I”. She bops with an Oscar Peterson-ish team on “My Baby Just Cares for Me” and gets husky on “Let’s Fall In Love”. For a good time, call…
In the same vein, Nancy Steele is joined by Joe Baque/p, Barry Galbraith-Don Arnone and Wimpy (!) Vernick/b, hanging out at the saloon on “I Lost My Sugar In Salt Lake City” and going Tin Pan Alley on “Year After Year”. She’s whispering in your ear on ‘Lost In A Fog” and oozes regret on “You’ll Never Know” with a bedroom eyes voice for “Nitey-Nite” for this 1959 album of double martini’d sounds.
Gayle Anderson has a husky poppish voice, and she’s backed by the Nelson Riddle-ish orchestra of Stu Phillips on this 1960 session. She swings on the Basie-inspired “You’re The Greatest”, gets dramatic with strings on “Time After Time” and goes kitschy pop for “Loves a Snap” and “I Like The Likes of You”. Music for the capri’d crowd.
Sandy Warner joins with Steve Allen in song and band leading form for a 1960 recording of mostly Allen-composed tunes. She smokes rings on the blue “Mambo, Tngo, Calypso, Cha Cha Blues’ while cooing with the orchestra and vocal backing team on “In The Afternoon”. She gives a hint of June Christy on the blue “The Girl With The Long Black Hair” and goes bel canto with strings for “This Is Where I Come From”. She sounds like she was made for Allen’s late night TV show crowd, making sounds for the sophisticated swingers.