A great way to get indroduced toan undeerrated jazz singer
The Dixieland Man | 10/25/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Lena Horne was a great swing oriented singer in the 30's & 40's, though most famous today as an actress, Horn could swing like Ella and sing a ballad or toch song like Billie. Here she's features with amny big bands and small groups, this is a great place to start when exploring the great Lena Horne."
"Whoever wrote the review "A meak & mild Lena is an idiot! This is Lena when her voice was like silk, and she was a true "Swing singer" who was not only able to sing torchy ballads, blues, and torch songs, but was equally talented as a novelty singer on uptempo jazz numbers! Lena's style was elegant and acceptible to white audiences in an era of segregation. To me this is the most appealing stage of her career, where her voice just seems to carress you. However by 1954 she changed her style and became more harsh sounding and very sassy, sounding very influenced by Della Reese! Even now she sounds great, all periods of Lena's career are interesting, but this is her in the cream of her career! Buy it, I gaurentee you'll love it or I'll eat my hat(& it's a derby)!!!"
A Meek & Mild Lena
Max Music | New York, NY | 12/03/2003
(2 out of 5 stars)
"Sorry, but I cannot get into or recommend the singing of Lena Horne before the 1950's. In her early singing she sounds like a completely different person than she did later, like she doesn't know or care what she's singing about. In this CD, her voice is nice and delivery is pretty. I prefer her later voice where her singing is dynamic, and her delivery complex and compelling. However, the singing on this CD is less demanding of the listener, and that is what many people may prefer. For the dynamic Lena, I recommend the "At The Waldorf" and "Lady & Her Music" CDs."
A fine singer, in her prime!!!
Lizzie Romero | Walnut, CA | 12/08/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"If you can't get into her pre 1950's singing you are a looser! This is Lena at her best sounding like a swing singer, she has the most appealing vocie on the planet and all of her pre 1945 music is essential and worth hearing!!!"