Excellent Collection!
10/17/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Anita O'Day is as adept at the swinging numbers as she is at the tender love ballads. That is not to say that she is merely competent. No, she is a jazz singer of the highest order. On the swingers (eg, "No Soap, No Hope Blues" and "Old Devil Moon"), she displays a great sense of rhythm and fun along with some top notch improvising. As for the love ballads (eg, "When the World Was Young," "Angel Eyes," and "If the Moon Turns Green"), she infuses each song with nostalgia and longing. This very excellent collection weighs more in the ballads. I recommend it highly, especially for those new to Anita O'Day or to jazz singing."
Some of a great jazz stylist's best recorded work
Ian Muldoon | Coffs Harbour, NSW Australia | 08/08/2000
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Ms O'Day's combination of joyous tone and hip musical sensibility is gloriously captured on the 16 track compilation which she helped put together. From her earliest Clef 10" LP ANITA O'DAY COLLATES (1952) as well as her 1956 classic ANITA, among others, and featuring some of the best arrangements and bands including Buddy Bregman, Johnny Mandel and Russ Garcia, this is the ONE MS O'DAY to have if you only want one. Highlights include two tracks with THE THREE SOUNDS (FLY ME TO THE MOON and AH THE APPLE TREES, WHEN THE WORLD WAS YOUNG and a reprise of BOOGIE BLUES with Gary McFarland. Although she was great when swinging with the KRUPA-ELDRIDGE BAND in the 1940's, this disc is a must have. Ms O'Day is a legend and a musical hero."
Pass the Hat for scat!
Steve Miller | San Diego, CA | 12/31/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Anita O'Day is the best scat singer I've ever heard...and she could deliver it at warp speed. Fabulous vocal stylings. This album (yes, album. Not "cd") is varied and agile. Love her the most!"