Search - Jo Stafford :: Reflections: The Ultimate Collection [ORIGINAL RECORDINGS REMASTERED]

Another outstanding boxed set of Jo's music

Peter Durward Harris | Leicester England | 11/19/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Once upon a time, Jo Stafford was one of the most famous and successful recording artists in popular music, selling more than 25 million records before Elvis Presley got started. These days, Jo's music has faded into comparative obscurity but there is still a significant following as the continuing stream of CD releases illustrates. Among those releases, there have been two previous 4-CD boxed sets, one on the Proper label Yes Indeed (4CD) (which I bought and reviewed some years ago) and one on the JSP label Her Greatest Hits (which I haven't bought only because I`ve got most of the tracks elsewhere).



Now it's the turn of the Jasmine label to give Jo the boxed set treatment. Jasmine have themselves previously released some of Jo's music, particularly the double CD mostly of rarities Love, Mystery and Adventure that I've also previously bought and reviewed, so with all the material already available including plenty of single CD's, you might wonder at the need for this latest boxed set. However, Jo was a very prolific recording artist, so while this set inevitably duplicates some of what is available elsewhere, there is plenty here that is new to CD or at least rare on CD.



I haven't attempted to compare this too closely with my other Jo Stafford compilations, but I can see that while some of the familiar hits are reprised here (so as to tempt people who don't have any of Jo's music yet), there is a clear difference between this boxed set and the earlier sets. Most of the music here is from Jo's period with Columbia, hitherto less thoroughly re-issued on CD, but there is some of her forties music here too. Several duets with Frankie Laine are also included, as well as two duets with Gene Autry (My heart cries for you, Teardrops from my eyes).



One feature of this compilation is the inclusion of all the tracks from Jo's original album of American folk songs that she recorded in the forties. Jo later re-recorded most of these songs in the sixties, together with some additional songs, and that album was re-issued on CD some years ago as American Folk Songs, Four of the additional tracks on that album were banjo-led up-tempo songs, which didn't please all of Jo's fans although I enjoy them. Still, the original forties album, without any banjos, was a more cohesive album. Even if (like me), you've got the sixties album, the original is well worth hearing.



The compilation also gives a good sampling of Jo's gospel recordings, which are brilliant. At the time of this review, I hadn't got round to buying any compilations dedicated to Jo's gospel music, so aside from the occasional track that featured on other general compilations of her music, this serves as a reminder that I must buy one or more of those gospel compilations someday. Most of the gospel songs are classics, so you've probably heard the songs elsewhere even if you haven't heard Jo's versions. Even so, Jo's recordings of these classics are definitely worth a listen.



This boxed set would make a good introduction to Jo's music for anybody new to it, but with 114 tracks, even dedicated fans are likely to find plenty here that they haven't already got on CD.

"

A SUBLIME VOICE, SEEMINGLY EFFORTLESS

Barry McCanna | Normandy, France | 08/08/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This 4-CD set presents this classic vocalist in a variety of moods, most accompanied by husband Paul Weston's Orchestra. The first CD includes two duets apiece with Gordon MacRae and Gene Autrey, and four with Nelson Eddy. The second CD kicks off with her American Folk Songs collection, includes two duets with Johnny Mercer, and concludes with her Songs of Faith album. She duets with Frankie Laine on the third CD, in songs from their Musical Portrait of New Orleans.



It's a generous package, which shows her to have been the consummate artiste, her sublime voice pouring forth seemingly effortlessly. She's at her best in the ballads, where her voice conveys a feeling of peace and tranquillity, but even in the more up-tempo numbers there's never any trace of harshness. It's a wonderful sound, which should win her a new generation of fans."

BEST EVER

VIRGINIA | VIRGINIA, USA | 09/10/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"REFLECTIONS IS A 4 CD BOXED SET WITH A TOTAL OF 142 SONGS. I HAVE COLLECTED OVER 1000 CD'S AND THIS HAS TO BE ONE OF THE BEST I HAVE. I LIKE THIS CD BECAUSE THE SINGER, JO STAFFORD, IS FEATURED CENTER STAGE WITH A FULL ORCHESTRA IN THE BACKGROUND. MOST OF THE SONGS I HAVE HEARD BEFORE AND SOME ARE NEW BUT ALL ARE BEAUTIFULLY ARRANGED AND PERFORMED. IT IS AN ALBUM TO SIT DOWN, RELAX AND ENJOY REAL MUSIC PERFORMED AS IT SHOULD BE WITHOUT ARTIFICIALY CREATED SOUND. THERE REALLY IS A BIG DIFFERENCE. THERE ARE NO BAD SELECTIONS ON THESE CD'S.



WHAT IS BEING PRODUCED NOW MAKES ME FEEL LIKE THE FEATURED ARTIST IS IN COMPETITION WITH THE BACKGROUND MUSICIANS AND DRUMS ARE TOO MUCH UP FRONT AND TOO INTRUSIVE.

SINCE THE MUSIC IN THIS SET WERE CREATED BEFORE THE DEVELOPMENT OF SYNTHESIZERS AND ELECTRONIC INSTRUMENTS WE ARE TREATED TO A FULL ORCHESTRA AND THOUGHTFUL ARRANGEMENTS ACTUALLY COMPLEMENTING THE VOCALIST AND THAT IS HOW IT SHOULD BE.



HIGHLY RECOMMEND"