Search - Sammy Davis Jr :: Sings the Complete 'Dr. Dolittle'

A Tour de Force

M. Evans | Maplewood, NJ | 05/16/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is simply a magnificent performance. Thankfully the complete recording has finally been reissued. As the leading interpreter of the Newley-Bricusse songbook, you would naturally expect Sammy to be 'all over' this work...and he is. Yet, in LeBron James-type fashion, he somehow manages to exceed your expectations when you least think its possible. Here, Sam has embedded himself in the character of this great work by composer Leslie Bricusse, covering songs introduced in the film by Rex Harrison, Tony Newley, Samantha Eggar and the others with varied and resonating aplomb. I've listened to it several times and the musicianship continues to amaze.



Equally accomplished are the charts of Hall-of-Fame arranger Marty Paich, who at the end of the closing tune to this album, 'Talk to the Animals,' takes us home with a witty musical reference to one of Bricusse's contemporary British composers, Tony Hatch, the writer and producer behind singer Petula Clark's hits. Sammy, of course, maybe with one of his appearances on "Hullabaloo" in mind, is hip to the musical reference, and the two proceed to exit musically with a tip of the cap to Mr. Hatch. Hip stuff indeed. Pet Clark must have smiled at that ending.



The CD liner notes are by composer Leslie Bricusse. He goes into some depth concerning the gratitude he and composing partner Tony Newley had for Sammy championing their music over the years. He mentions that Sammy was the first person he actually played the Dolittle score for while he was staying at the home of Sam during one of his visits to the States in 1966. Upon hearing it, Sammy told him he liked it so much he promised to record it. And boy did he! Sammy's New York hometown protege Bobby Darin must have also been quite impressed, because he later recorded his own version of Dolittle with the help of arranger Roger Kellaway. Darin's is a nice set too, but this one by Sammy is definitive."