Search - Margaret Whiting :: Sings Jerome Kern Song Book

Lovely listening

Joan Crawford | Lansing, MI USA | 03/22/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"My initial impression of this album, which is a collection of some beloved (and some quite rare) Jerome Kern standards sung with impeccable good taste by Margaret Whiting, was that is was slightly bland. I know now that was an unfair estimation of this music, because the style itself is intentionally subtle and lovely and soft.. Margaret Whiting possesses one of the most magical voices ever to grace a record, and when she sings about love you know she means it. Margaret Whiting was not about sex and sizzle (Peggy Lee, Julie London). She was about love, and beautiful, tender ballads. Her music was sophisticated and gorgeous, and so was her soaring yet restrained style of singing. She has a range and tone more perfect than even Rosemary Clooney and Jo Stafford, yet her style is more restrained.



Many people of my younger generation only know about jazz singers such as Billie Holliday or Ella Fitzgerald. They don't appreciate the Doris Days, Jo Staffords, and most have never heard of the great Margaret Whiting. All I can say is they are missing out on the best singer of the 20th century!



Best reasons to buy this album? How about Maggie's beautiful interpretations of "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man" (the definitive version), "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes," and "Look For the Silver Lining"? If that sounds good to you, as it should if you know anything about music, definitely pick up this album on CD while it is available!

"

Maggie's sensational tribute to a family friend

Peter Durward Harris | Leicester England | 07/07/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Jerome Kern was one of the great composers of the first half of the twentieth century, though not as well known as Irving Berlin, Cole Porter or George Gershwin. This is as it should be, because his overall catalog is not as strong as theirs, but it is still a very impressive catalog.



Smoke gets in your eyes is the most famous of his songs, on the strength of the Platters' rock'n'roll version, but Maggie's tribute shows that he was no one-hit wonder. Among the other songs included here are I'm old fashioned and A fine romance, but the quality of this collection is such that none of these songs stand out - and Maggie can be proud of each and every track here.



I can understand why people think this is Maggie's finest music. Certainly, Maggie recorded this in her mid-thirties, when her voice had matured just nicely, but I also love her pop hits of the forties (see The Complete Capitol Hits of Margaret Whiting, which I've also reviewed but which is out of print, or the even more comprehensive My Ideal: The Definitive Collection, which I hope to acquire and review eventually). We don't have to choose between them, we can just play them one after the other.



So, this is an absolutely stunning collection, mostly of exquisite love songs written by a man who was a family friend of the Whitings, but who died while Magic Maggie was still in her teens.



If you are a fan of the Great American Songbook, you surely won't find a better tribute to a single composer anywhere (and that includes Ella, Rosie, et al - but they are also brilliant)."