Search - Keely Smith :: I Wish You Love

Her first solo effort

Enrique Torres | San Diegotitlan, Califas | 12/16/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Behind every man there is a good woman, or so the saying goes. In this case the woman behind, alongside and eventually stepping in front of bandleader and husband Louis Prima, was Keely Smith. Louis Prima somehow has not been given his proper dues in jazz circles(because it wasn't pure even though it was New Orleans influenced) but this duo, along with the with the Witnesses, were the jazzy, creative and exciting pulse of live early Las Vegas acts. Stemming from an early High Fidelity recording from back in the day(60's?) Keely Smith was paired with the magical arrangements and conducting of Nelson Riddle for this her first solo release. The results are a recording for the ages that was obviously good enough to have Capital dig into it's vaults and spruce it up a bit with some alternate tracks for an added dimension is sound. The new interest in Keely Smith is due to her own cotinued recording and recent releases such as her successful tribute disc to Sinatra. Keely Smith is a wonderful talent who displays all the classic characteristics of a fine jazz songbird. Her ability to gently swing in a provacative seductive style sucks the listener in to her smoky voice. The title track is absolutely amazing as she renders the lyrics to the classic song, "I Wish You Love. " This particular song captures the essence and demonstrates the epitome of Keely Smith. Another beautiful song(they all are) is "If We Never Meet Again" that is a suttle reminder of her elegance and charm as she croons the lost love ballad. In the song she vows to let the "birds of spring" and "the roses" remind her of her everlasting love. She must have been a romantic at heart because all the the playfullness demonstrated on her recordings with Louis Prima is absent; it is all business and straight up ballads here. "Fools Rush In" is a beautiful collaboration with the band of Nelson Riddle where the give and take is a perfect marriage. Without a doubt she has one of the voices that melts a mans heart, stretching her notes and softly carresing you with her pillow talk voice. Her voice can be a bit difficult to pin down because it flucuates in range from a thick Cher(bad comparison but you get the point) like voice to a whispery songstress in the style of all the great songbirds who came before her. Her voice is the real draw but the work by Nelson Riddle and the great big band sound that interupts is a welcome treat. The band moves and swings but Keely Smith is stirrng this sleek vechicle down the musical road. This was a departure album for Keely Smith, one intended for her to show her stuff without the rousing husband and wife act she put on with Louis Prima that made her famous to the Las Vegas crowds. She has a marvelous voice that rivals or exceeds many of today's more contemporary female vocalists. Her voice is one that comes across effortlessly a though nothing is forced; she is an underrated female vocalist who belongs on a short list of great American twenty first century singers. Her breezy style has influenced a long list of contemporary singers. In any event this is a very good disc, especially for those unfamiliar with Keely Smith who was more than just the singing sidekick and wife of Louis Prima. Highly recommended for people that like swinging music that has stood the test of time. A truly classic recording then and now."

FIVE STARS FOR KEELY!

Giovanni | Chicago, IL | 11/11/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"For all the hype of the packed rooms in Vegas over the years and from the time she hooked up with husband/bandleader/crazy Italiano Louis Prima, Keely Smith was a chanteuse in the waiting.  When the idea was pitched that she could in fact compete in a market with other female songstresses, Smith was thrilled to do so.  Husband Louis Prima let his songbird fly freely and advised Capitol bigwigs to let her do whatever she wanted, so long as she had the best to work with.  Capitol willingly obliged to Prima (and Keely) in a big way, pairing her with the incomparable Nelson Riddle for her first outing, I WISH YOU LOVE. (They would collaborate again for another package, included on the Collectables release POLITELY / SWINGIN' PRETTY)
The tale's been told by Keely many times of how her signature recording came to be:  Capitol producers brought her a stack of songs, lastly, I WISH YOU LOVE, a French song that "would never amount to anything". Labeled as a throw away, Keely immediately fell in love with it and bargained that if allowed to record it,  she'd do whatever other numbers Capitol wanted.  With all this agreeing going on, it's no wonder Keely Smith fans call this album her very finest!  But there's more to this album than history or a stunningly gorgeous torchy title track.  Nelson Riddle wrote some great charts for Keely to swing with as well; DON'T TAKE YOUR LOVE FROM ME being one of them, as well as WHEN YOUR LOVER HAS GONE.  Two songs from either side of the "love-line", both classics read with style here. Keely's dreamy version of IMAGINATION inspired all others to follow.  With an ethereal sound from the woodwinds, and Keely's trademark plaintive voice soaring just when it needs to over this lovely Burke / Van Heusen evergreen, it runs a close second to the title track as the album's best offering.  The heartfelt reading Keely and Nelson provide of the old Louis Armstrong chestnut, IF WE NEVER MEET AGAIN (recently recorded by Tony Bennett and Kd Lang with equally lovely results as a duet.) sits right in the middle of the album, and is not to be missed.  Nelson Riddle was a master at his craft, perhaps one of the best arrangers to have ever lived, and he always got the most out of any singer he ever worked with (he had Peggy Lee hitting high notes in full voice years after her breathy phrasing became her trademark sound; and Shirley Bassey hit notes on Riddle charts she never accomplished again)  I point to the lovely song I UNDERSTAND on this album and direct your attention to the tag on the ending.  Riddle ushers out the orchestra and the chorus sings a refrain, compelling Keely to answer in a lovely high noted closing tag that caps off the song perfectly. Ever a fan of the Jerome Kern evergreen ALL THE THINGS YOU ARE, I was amazed at the fresh approach Nelson and Keely take to make a swinger of this one.  This is probably the best of the bonus tracks (it was inexplicably omitted from the original LP) but the stark yet moving 'original' version of I WISH YOU LOVE definitely gives we fans a chance to do the comparison and judge for ourselves, and also offers insight as to the work and thought put in by all parties involved to get the "proper" version of the song out, which brings us now to full circle.  Without running on any further, this album IS Keely's finest hour, and well worth the waiting for."

Amazing Live Performer @ 78 yrs. Young

La Rubia @90631 | 11/14/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"My husband were priviledged to catch Keely live in a one-night concert at the Cerritos Center in Southern California recently. She performed a 90 minute show based on the Prima years @ The Sahara Hotel in Las Vegas. With Nelson Riddle arrangements and a smokin' ensemble backing her up, Keely was ALIVE and her voice has not aged at all. She is slated to sing on Valentine's Day 2007 in Palm Desert @ the McCallum Center. If you're a Baby Boomer like myself and was too young to hear Keely live in the Rat Pack era. This is a rare opportunity. Don't miss Keely now."