Search - Martha Raye, David Rose :: Here's Martha Raye

An absolutely stunning cd.

ab | ca | 01/24/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Martha Raye possesses a sweet yet strong and swinging voice, and she handles ballads beautifully. I enjoy Martha Raye because in Anita O'Day's autobiography she lists Raye as her biggest influence(aside from the obvious Billie HolidaY). Martha Raye is a jazz influenced singer with lo's of pep on the uptempo numbers. She has a way of phrasing which leads me to believe she is a jazz influenced pop singer. This cd is recommended to jazz collectors as well as nostalgia buffs."

A revelation

ab | 03/21/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Martha Raye was a superb pop-jazz-blues singer, the model for many other artists, most notably and noticeably Anita O'Day. Asked once why she didn't have a big record career beyond these sides, she said, "That's just the way it went. Success came as a film comiedienne and that's the way the public came to think of me. In show business, it's the talent the public chooses for you that forms your identiity. They just happened to chose the comic acting side." On stage and film a consummate comedienne, Raye offstage could be serious, reflective and moody, all reflected in these outstanding performances. She also was one tough cookie when she had to be but there's nothing tough about these tender, swinging, impeccable recordings, still fabulous decades after they were recorded."