Beautiful cha cha arrangements of popular and very classic m
Matthew G. Sherwin | last seen screaming at Amazon customer service | 06/04/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Tea for Two Cha Chas is a splendid twofer CD that has all of the numbers on two record albums entitled Tea for Two Cha Chas and More Tea for Two Cha Chas--both with Warren Covington leading The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra. These were the records my parents danced to when they were dating and decades later they distinctly remembered the fun they had dancing all alone late at night in my mother's living room in Brooklyn. The quality of the sound on the CD is excellent and the artwork incorporates the record album artwork.
If you instrumental versions of classic pop vocals with a big band sound mixed with a very mid twentieth century Latin twist, then this CD is for you. The music has a certain elegance that could never truly go out of style; the arrangements are all completely outstanding.
Of course, I still have my favorite tunes as you will, too. The opening number is one of the best ones here; "Tea for Two Cha Cha" uses percussion, brass, and a dynamic beat that is absolutely regal and it shines bright in the capable hands of these artists! "Por Favor (Please)" is very well done; when I hear this I can just picture this music being played at The Plaza Hotel in Manhattan with the dancing floor packed, the women wearing evening gowns with gloves that went over their elbows and the men wearing dark suits or tuxedos. In addition, there's an excellent rendition of the timeless "Patricia" that uses the horn section very well; and I really like the smoothness of "I Still Get Jealous (Cha Cha)." "Corazón De Melon" flows very well into the track set and there's yet another gem in their cha cha version of "Dardanella." These musicians never skip a beat and I'm very impressed.
"I Want To Be Happy Cha Cha" charms me with its beautiful melody mixed with that terrific Latin touch I will always love; and there are some fine harmonizing vocals on "Together 1-2-3." "Dinah (Cha Cha)" shines brighter than silver and gold in their capable hands; and "Tea for Two Cha Cha No. 2" very bravely injects a rock and roll flavor to the previous version with that guitar work--it actually holds its own very well. Moreover, "Dream" gets the royal treatment from Warren Covington and Tommy Dorsey's band. I would like to think that Johnny Mercer would have approved of this rendition of his song!
"Sweet and Gentle (Me Lo Dijo Adela)" again showcases their ability to add vocals to the musical arrangement; and make it all sound so easy even though I know it really wasn't. They perform it faultlessly, too. "Nunca" is just right for slow dancing; and "Don't Worry 'Bout Me" is easy on the ear, to say the least. "The Sheik of Araby (Cha Cha)" just couldn't be better and the CD ends very nicely with "Esto Es Felicidad (This is Happiness)." I love it!
Warren Covington, Tommy Dorsey's band and some rather talented vocalists certainly put out two wonderful record albums that sound better than ever on CD. I highly recommend this CD for any fan of mid twentieth century Latin (and especially cha cha) renditions of classic pop songs and tunes. This is also a superlative introduction to the artistry of Warren Covington who deserves to be remembered far more than he is in our times."
Two great STEREO albums
Jay Holder | 08/05/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Here are two great albums rescued from the world of scratchy vinyl. You may want to have a breather after listening or dancing to the first album as too many cha chas can become tiresome. Or, you could program your favorite tracks from both albums, a feature you can`t do with vinyl. Vinyl takes up a lot of space, can smell moldy (espicially from used copies) and is quite heavy if you have a large collection to move. I have the hernias to prove it. Vinyl, you can have it. THANK YOU Sepia!"
Tea for Two Cha Cha
C. Jenkins | NC, USA | 05/03/2010
(3 out of 5 stars)
"A few great songs but sadly not as great on the whole as I had hoped. Every tune is played well, but one can have too much of this style. I suspect that my memory of the original tune could not possibily extent to the whole album. To find out the effect of the original tune, go to my website [...] and read the story 'Going to the Pictures' - here you will read WHY I recall the title tune so much - and perhaps smile a little."
Track Listings (24) - Disc #1
